


Meteor Showers

by citation (WannaDay)



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, all the characters are main characters, all the pairings are main pairings, based on the undivided album (artbook ver.), mentions & cameos of jbj ioi and izone members, they're not really heroes though, will add more tags as story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-17
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-05-24 12:37:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 22,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14954834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WannaDay/pseuds/citation
Summary: “We’re asking you to join us. We’ll give you a home. You’ll be safe.”__Eleven boys and their stories of love, friendship, and taking down the organization that raised them.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay superpower AU!
> 
> The powers and character designs are based on the artbook version of the 1÷x=1 (Undivided) album. I watched an unboxing video and read about the boys' superpowers from the illustrator of the album... Then prompts just appeared in my head (to the point that a whole plot developed) and I knew I had to write this lol
> 
> All the pairings are main pairings, and everyone is a main character. We’ll be exploring the story from the POV of different characters, and story parts will focus on certain characters but they’ll all intertwine.
> 
> The title (and chapter opening quote) are from Andy Kong’s song, _Meteor Showers._
> 
>  
> 
> Soo, let’s start! :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

  _I found you  
__While dreaming of meteor showers_

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“ _The Light_ is such a lame name for an organization, though. I mean, just because people with superpowers are called Lights, why should an organization be named after that? Is there no other creative name?”

“I never really thought about it, hyung.”

“I bet we could think of some really cool names now.”

Ong Seongwoo leaned against the steering wheel in front of him. He glanced out the window to his left, seeing the tall looming building that stretched to the skies.

It was a skyscraper, dozens of floors high and smack-dab in the middle of the bustling city. All of its windows were tinted black, obscuring the activities inside from the world. Gates surrounded the building, making it look more formidable and even less inviting.

To Seongwoo’s right was his friend, Kang Daniel, seated in the passenger’s seat. The younger man stared out the car window, looking at the same view.

“What cool names are on your mind, hyung?” Daniel asked.

“Something more badass. Something scarier.” Seongwoo then glanced at his watch. It was nearly 10 o’clock at night. The silence in his in-ear communication device was a sign that he still had some time. “ _The Light_ just sounds too soft.”

“And what we do isn’t soft,” Daniel guessed.

“Not in the least.”

Both Seongwoo and Daniel wore black-colored clothes that helped them blend into the darkness. With the hazy sky and the thick clouds, and the car they sat in which was parked a few meters away from the building— plus the shady business they were involved in— Seongwoo felt that  _The Light_ was a wrong name for them.

It was just a random thought, really. But he liked to delve in random thoughts and Daniel liked to as well.

“Honestly, I haven’t thought of any fitting names,” Daniel admitted.

“Yeah, me neither.” It was slightly cold in the car, despite the fact that it was already deep into the spring season. Then another random thought dawned on him. “Hey, Daniel.”

“Yeah, hyung?”

“Have the cherry blossoms started blooming?”

“I think so. I haven’t really had much time to look around the city.”

Seongwoo smiled to himself. “Maybe after all this, we could take a look.”

Daniel stopped staring at the building, choosing instead to stare at the older man next to him. “What? At the cherry blossoms?”

“Well, I don’t see why not...”

Even in the dark, Seongwoo could see the shine of Daniel’s silver hair, and the small grin that began to tug at Daniel’s lips.

“Well, hyung—”

A static filled Seongwoo’s earpiece. The same went for Daniel, who gently touched the communication device in his own ear. A familiar voice greeted them.

_“Alright, boys. It’s time to begin.”_

“Roger that, Jisung-hyung,” Daniel answered, tone suddenly serious.

Seongwoo leaned back in his seat, eyes on the building again. “We’re all in position.”

Three more voices joined them.

_“Confirmative.”_

_“Let’s kick some ass.”_

_“Woojin-hyung, you shouldn’t curse on the communication channel.”_

Daniel chuckled. “Will the kids be okay?” he muttered to Seongwoo.

“Hopefully,” Seongwoo answered with a grin.

Jisung spoke to them again, his voice firm. “ _A quick summary. Just as a reminder. Your objective is to recruit a new Light. He’s in the building, probably the 37th floor. He’s meeting a mafia leader who is trying to recruit him as well. Meet the Light, and then get out.”_ There was a pause. _“I’d also remind you guys not to engage in combat unless it’s absolutely necessary... But knowing the past records of this mafia group, I think it’d be difficult not to.”_

 _“And the past records of Woojin-hyung going crazy,”_ a voice answered, accompanied by a short giggle.

_“Shush, Daehwi. I can’t help it when I have too much energy.”_

_“You all know your jobs,”_ Jisung quickly continued, before the two boys could begin bickering. _“Daniel, Seongwoo, Woojin, Jihoon, Daehwi... Good luck.”_

“We’ll see ya later, hyung,” Seongwoo said. “Operation Retrieve-Lightning-Boy starts now.”

 _“Is that really the name of this operation?”_ Daehwi groaned.

“I just made it up,” Seongwoo answered. He glanced to his left again.

Daniel had his eyes fixed on the night sky, at the clouds. His hands were moving in delicate, steady circular motions, his fingers surrounded by a soft blue light. Above them, the clouds starting to swirl ever so slowly.

Seongwoo smiled. “And it starts now.”

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

Three boys clad in tuxedos walked confidentially towards the building. One tugged at his necktie, one slicked back his hair, and one had a smirk on his face.

“Just act natural,” Park Jihoon said, letting go of his tie. “Leave it to me.”

The youngest of the trio, 16-year-old Lee Daehwi, gave a confident nod. “I trust you, hyung.” They began to ascend the steps that would take them to the front lobby of the building.

“The shoes are uncomfortable,” Park Woojin grumbled. “How do these mafia dudes even run in them?”

“We have to look as convincing as possible,” Daehwi said. Though he had to agree. The shoes were pretty uncomfortable.

“Heads up,” Woojin suddenly said, eyes fixed in front of him.

There were three bulky guards at the lobby door. Daehwi could easily see the firearms that each guard kept in their belt. _Typical._

“Show them who’s boss, Jihoon,” Woojin whispered.

Jihoon smiled and strode forwards to the guards. “'Night, gentlemen,” he said.

The guards eyed him. Although they all towered over the young boy, Jihoon stared back indifferently.

“And who the hell are you?” one of the guards demanded.

“Me and my two friends here are the new recruits, of course,” Jihoon answered without blinking. He pulled on his brightest smile. “We’re scheduled to meet the boss in five minutes. We’re running a bit late, so we need to hurry up there.”

“Recruits,” the guard said.

“Yup,” Jihoon answered sweetly.

“And you’re late.”

“Yup, that’s right.”

“Well...” the guard continued. “It’s best not to be late, right?” He sounded dazed, voice slightly slurred. The two bulky men that flanked him also nodded vigorously. Then all three of them stepped aside, slightly stumbling in their steps.

“As expected of Jihoon-hyung,” Daehwi said quietly to Woojin, who smirked in return. They both could see the slight pink glow that radiated from Jihoon’s hands, and the glassy eyes of the guards.

“As expected,” Woojin agreed, passing by. Before disappearing through the revolving doors, he glanced over his shoulder with a grin and said, “You could charm anyone into falling in love with you, Jihoon.”

Jihoon didn’t smile back.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

The lobby looked normal and lacked the ominous feel that Daehwi associated with mafia lairs. But then again, not everyone wanted to make their headquarters extremely obvious. The city police may be shitty at times (or most times), but it would be a hassle to go against them. It was easier to stay quiet and do evil deeds in the dark.

There were more guards that Jihoon quickly brushed aside with his powers. The three boys made it to the elevator. It was only when the doors slid close that the guards snapped out of their daze, immediately banging on the elevator doors and shouting loads of profanity.

“The 37th floor, right?” Jihoon said calmly, the pink glow gone from his fingertips.

“Yep. According to Jisung-hyung, Lightning Boy should be there.” Daehwi glanced at his watch. 10:13. They were making good progress. He hit the buttons _10_ and _37_ , and the banging noises faded away as they rose higher and higher. “Your destination is the tenth floor though, hyung.”

Woojin rubbed his knuckles. “You sure you’re okay by yourself, Jihoon?”

Jihoon nodded. “Yeah, I just need to disable their communications. According to the insider info, there aren’t that many guards there because everyone’s upstairs protecting the boss. It should be a piece of cake.” He turned to Daehwi and Woojin. “Not a piece of cake for you guys, though.”

“Nah, it should be easy,” Woojin assured him. A slight orange glow was starting to surround his hands. “We can easily wipe out the entire floor.” He nudged the youngest boy next to him. “You ready, Daehwi?”

Similar to the color of his hair, a purple shine began to form on Daehwi’s fingertips. “Very very ready.”

 

 

 

 

After promising to meet on the 37th floor in approximately ten minutes, Jihoon bid them a brief farewell before running out the elevator doors.

The hallway of the tenth floor looked quite abandoned. Woojin let himself breathe a little easier. He could trust his friend. Jihoon would be fine.

“We just passed the 35th floor, hyung,” Daehwi said quietly beside him.

“Right.” Woojin rubbed his knuckles again. Bright orange light now surrounded both of his hands— two bright orbs of pure energy. “Take out the small fries first, then we focus on the big guy.”

“We wait for Jihoon-hyung’s signal.”

“Let’s hope he finishes his job on time.”

The elevator let out a small _ding_ noise before the doors slip open. Woojin got ready to blast anyone in sight—

But the corridor was empty.

“Huh,” he said. “What are the odds.”

Daehwi pursed his lips, slowly stepping out. “Huh.”

Static then filled their ears. Woojin tapped his earpiece. “Yo, Jihoon.”

_“I disabled the coms. I also saw the monitoring screens. Your floor’s corridor is empty, but the room with Lightning Boy is filled with the mafia dudes.”_

“Ah, makes sense then,” Daehwi answered.

_“But I disabled the coms so they shouldn’t be able to summon backup and stuff. You guys can start the attack. I’ll make my way there— Ah.”_

“What is it?” Woojin asked, voice tense.

 _“Looks like I’ve got company,”_ Jihoon answered. There was the sound of running footsteps on his end. Dozens of footsteps. _“A lot of company.”_

“Me and Daehwi can go there—” Woojin began.

 _“No,”_ Jihoon said quickly. _“I can handle these guys myself. You guys go get Lightning Boy.”_

“Wait. Are we seriously calling him that, now? That’s so lame.” Woojin said with a small chuckle— a way to hide his own skittishness.

There was a laugh on the other end. _“Not the best time for this conversation.”_ Suddenly there was a loud _bang_ of a door being slammed open. _“Whoops, gotta go now.”_

“Be careful, Jihoon.”

_“Aww, you’re worried about me. I’ll see you later, Woojin.”_

 

 

 

 

* * *

  

 

 

 

The clouds grew thicker, shifting faster.

“Are you sure you don’t need any help?” Seongwoo asked. They were prepared for unexpected things like this, but he was ready to offer any aid if necessary.

 _“Trust Jihoon,”_ was Woojin’s answer. _“I’m sure he can take care of himself.”_

“We’re also talking about you and Daehwi,” Daniel said, his eyes still on the sky, his hands still moving steadily.

 _“We’re fine, hyung,”_ Daehwi replied. _“It’s gonna get noisy on our ends, though, so I hope your ears will be okay.”_

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

Once the door slammed open, men clad in suits poured into the room.

Jihoon whirled around, his fingers glowing a bright pink. He waved his hand, voice firm as he said, “You should drop your guns.”

The men in the front immediately did as they were told. Pistols and rifles clattered to the ground, but one man managed to tear through the crowd, face contorted in anger and—

_Bang!_

Jihoon managed to duck down before the bullet flew over his head. He gritted his teeth, rushing forwards and bringing his fist to the man’s face.

There was a sickening _crack_ noise. The man howled and dropped the gun. Jihoon kicked it away without a glance.

More guards tried to grab him. Dodging and landing a hit whenever he could, Jihoon concentrated and watched his hands emit an even brighter light.

He then quickly took a few steps back and held out his hands, flashes of light flying from his fingers.

The light latched onto the guards, and Jihoon grinned a little devilish grin.

“Alright,” he said, venom seemingly dripping from his voice. “I’d like it if you all attacked each other. Right here. Right now.”

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

“Since Jihoon-hyung is getting held up,” Daehwi said, as he and Woojin walked towards the end of the hallway. Towards the door of the mafia boss’s room. “We can’t depend on his charm powers to coax this Lightning Boy into coming with us.”

“So what’s the plan then?” Woojin asked. “Is Minhyun-hyung in the vicinity?”

 _“Negative,”_ Seongwoo said, his voice clear through the communication line. _“Minhyun’s on his own mission at this moment. He’s on the other side of the city.”_

Woojin clicked his tongue. “Too bad. His mind control would be really helpful right now.” He hummed. “I guess we _could_ knock out Lightning Boy and take him by force.”

“No,” Daehwi said. “I have another idea.”

“What?” Woojin saw the determined look on Daehwi’s face.

“I’ll talk to him.”

 _“What?”_ Woojin repeated. “Daehwi, you read the files. This kid’s out of control. He’s been blasting entire buildings to the ground just ‘cause he can’t figure out his own powers. It gets worse when he’s emotional. There’s a reason why the mafia boss wants to recruit him. Lightning Boy’s power is _destructive._ ”

“Yeah, but he’s only _seventeen years old_ , hyung.” Daehwi felt a tingling in his fingertips. “He’s probably afraid. Just like all of us when we first discovered our powers. I could talk to him— nicely and calmly. And hopefully he’ll listen.”

_“Hopefully.”_

“Just give me a chance here, hyung.” Daehwi was pouting, and _damnit_ , Woojin hated to admit that he was weak when Daehwi pouted.

The older boy sighed. “Daniel-hyung. Seongwoo-hyung. What do you think?”

Seongwoo answered quickly. _“Daniel’s slipped into that state when he’s concentrating hard and can’t hear things around him. But I think he would agree with me. Let Daehwi talk to the kid. But if it looks like it’s not working out, Woojin can step in immediately.”_

“Thanks, hyung!” Daehwi said.

“Okay, then,” Woojin muttered, his eyes on the door in front of him. He held out a hand, the circular glow pulsed around his fingers, some of the light even flared and crackled. “Let’s crash this party.”

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

Bae Jinyoung was tired of running.

He was tired of fearing for his life, he was tired of being feared. He was tired of worrying what he would eat the next day, or where he would sleep and if he would be safe. He was tired of always being on the move, of being chased and hunted.

So when the mafia offered him a play to stay, a place of comfort, he was eager to accept it. His life would be well off. Or at least slightly more well off.

And now all he had to do was swear his allegiance to the man in front of him. After that, his life would be better...  _Right?_

“You’d have to work, of course,” the boss of the group said, seated behind a large table heaped with all sorts of trinkets. The room was dark, with barely any help from the dim lights. Windows overtook each of the three walls, letting Jinyoung see the buildings outside and the cloudy sky. There was a black couch behind Jinyoung, but he knew that he had to stand when facing someone important like this.

There were guards on every corner of the room, some even blocking the exit. Jinyoung wasn’t sure if he could back out now— not that he wanted to. Theoretically, he _could_ get out by force, but that would mean he had to use his powers. And using his powers was the last thing he wanted to do at the moment.

He stared at his shoes, already worn out from all the running he did. _He would live better._

Fiddling with the sleeves of his gray hoodie that swallowed his small frame, Jinyoung nodded. “I wouldn’t mind working.”

“Your powers would be extremely useful for us,” the boss said with a grin that made Jinyoung feel uneasy.

 _Of course._ Just another person trying to take advantage of him. _No surprise there._

But maybe it wouldn’t be too bad this time. Jinyoung took a deep breath, getting ready to agree and finalize the contract.

“I—”

Just then, the door _exploded_ from behind him. Jinyoung whirled around, eyes wide as he saw bits of the door flying through the air, along with dozens of guards being blown by the blast.

It wasn’t just the door. Bits of the wall were also destroyed, dust filling the room.

The mafia boss looked furious. He rose to his feet as two bodyguards quickly rushed to his side. _“What the fuck?”_ he hissed.

Guards held their guns at the direction of the cloud of dust, ready to size up the new enemy.

Jinyoung’s eyes slightly widened when bursts of tiny purple-colored light shot out from the dust. Like dozens of bullets, they soared through the sky at an incredible speed, hitting the guards and smacking the weapons from their hands.

As men crumpled to the ground, the dust began to settle, and two figures began to emerge.

It was two boys in suits, complete with ties and slicked-back hair. One of them looked no more older than him, hands glowing a bright purple, the color similar to the the bullet-like light that Jinyoung had seen a few seconds before. The young boy had purple hair with strands that began to fall over his forehead.

The other boy, who looked a little older, had dark brown hair and the biggest grin on his face. He ran forwards, fist connecting with the closest guard he could reach. An orange glow radiated from the boy’s closed hands, glowing a deeper color whenever he landed a hit.

The younger boy rushed forwards, the bullet-like lights shooting from his fingertips. Not wanting to join the growing heap of wounded men on the floor, Jinyoung quickly ducked behind the couch. He could hear guns being fired, people screaming, and the boss cursing louder and louder.

Then the boy with the brown hair jumped on the table, startling the boss and the guards flanking him.

Jinyoung watched with a sort of awe as the two guards lunged, but the boy took them down with a swing of his legs. The bright orange light appeared again where his foot collided with each guard’s neck, and the guards grunted and fell like rocks.

Then a sudden fear overtook Jinyoung. _Maybe he was next_. Along with a terrifying panic, he could feel a familiar tingling in his body, sparks starting to collect in the palm of his hand.

The mafia boss looked ready to bolt. He blubbered to Jinyoung, “Th-This is your first task, boy! Take out this intruder!”

Jinyoung got ready to stand up, but suddenly there was a gentle touch on his arm, stopping him.

“I wouldn’t do that,” a soft voice said behind him.

The orange glow around the brown-haired boy’s hand grew larger and brighter. “See ya,” he said, and with a swing of his fist he sent the mafia boss flying across the room.

There was a thud as the boss hit the window and slid down to the floor, motionless.

The room was then silent, save for the groans of wounded men. It felt rather strange, given that the room was alive with so much motion and noise just a few seconds ago.

With a sharp intake of breath, Jinyoung suddenly remembered the hand holding onto him. He jerked his arm away, whirling around to face the other intruder.

It was the boy with purple hair, who immediately held up his hands, saying, “Whoa, whoa! We’re the good guys! We won’t hurt you!”

Small sparks were already forming in Jinyoung’s open palms. His voice came out in a rush of breath. “Y-You could’ve hurt me— You were firing blindly a minute ago—”

“No, we weren’t,” the purple-haired boy said. “We have a friend monitoring the room. He told us where you were in the room, and we made sure we didn’t aim in your direction.” He then pointed at the camera in the ceiling. “Say hi to Jihoon-hyung.”

The brown-haired boy gave a wave to the camera.

“Okay, so,” the younger boy continued, still holding up his hands. The purple glow was gone. “I know you may be scared right now. I would be too if I were in your shoes. But I promise that we’re here to help you.”

“Who are you?” Jinyoung demanded. His palms were growing warmer.

“I’m Lee Daehwi,” the boy said. “And that guy on the table is my friend, Park Woojin. We’re from The Light.”

 _The Light._ Jinyoung had heard all about it. The organization that gathered people with superpowers. The organization involved with all sorts of businesses. Some even illegal. The name became more notorious with each day, and Jinyoung did not expect to see such a soft-looking boy like Lee Daehwi to be a part of it.

“We’re asking you to join us,” Daehwi said gently. “Come with us. We’ll give you a home. You’ll be safe.”

“Sounds too good to be true,” Jinyoung muttered. “Don’t think I don’t know what your organization does.”

“We did things we may not be proud of...” It was Woojin’s voice behind him. “But you were just about to join a freaking _mafia group._ I don’t think we can talk about good and bad deeds at a time like this.”

JInyoung sighed. Woojin had a point.

Daehwi had a warm smile on his face. “What do you say?”

“I...” Jinyoung’s fingers were twitching. His hands grew warmer.

Just then Woojin let out a curse.

“Shit.” Jumping down from the table, Woojin pressed a finger to his ear. “Jihoon says that there are men rushing towards this room. I think the blast drew a lot of attention.”

Daehwi rolled his eyes, the smile melting off his face as he faced the other boy. “I _told you_ , you shouldn’t have blasted down the door!”

“Oh come on, it was effective!” Woojin defended.

With a groan, Daehwi turned away from Woojin. His eyes connected with Jinyoung’s.

Jinyoung stared back, seeing the angry features on the other boy soften to a comforting smile again.

“We need to go soon,” Daehwi said. “Really soon.”

“And what— I’m supposed to make my choice _right now?”_ Jinyoung could feel his head begin to hurt. He was getting a little dizzy.

“They’re rounding the corner,” Woojin informed. He then began walking towards the hole in the wall, his fists already starting to glow. “I’ll distract them. You guys go.”

Daehwi bit his lip. He then pressed a finger to his ear. “Seongwoo-hyung. We need a lift. 37th floor.”

“Who—” Jinyoung began.

But Daehwi already held out both his palms in the direction of the window next to them. His face was serious, _fierce_ even. Purple lights then shot out of his hands, hitting the window from top to bottom. For a split second, Jinyoung thought of how the lights reminded him of water drops.

The barrage continued until the window cracked and shattered. Daehwi kept going until he had cleared a large hole— big enough for two people to go through.

Jinyoung instantly took a step back.

Daehwi then held out his hand to him, the purple light gone again. He smiled. “Well?”

“I never said I was joining you guys,” Jinyoung said, slightly shaking his head.

“You’ll be safe. We’ll protect you.”

“This isn’t the first time people told me that. They promised to keep me safe but in the end, it just doesn’t happen. They’re all gone now.” Jinyoung’s voice grew quieter with each word, the sparks disappearing from his hands. “They’re all gone, always leaving me alone.”

There was a gentle and sympathetic look in Daehwi’s eyes. The wind was blowing through the shattered window frame, tousling the younger boy’s hair. “Sometimes,” Daehwi then said, “you just have to take a leap of faith.”

Jinyoung let out a small, incredulous laugh. _It sounded so simple._

“Trust me,” Daehwi said. He stretched out his hand. “I promise I’ll stay with you. You won’t ever be alone again.”

 

 

 

 

* * *

  

 

 

 

“Gotta go,” Seongwoo said, opening the car door and stepping out. The clouds were swirling faster now, getting thicker. And he felt a chill hit his body, the air a lot colder than it was a few minutes ago. “I’ll see you back at headquarters, Daniel.”

Daniel nodded with a smile, his hands glowing and his gaze intent on the clouds. “See you, hyung.”

Seconds later and the older man was gone— nowhere in sight.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

Trust wasn’t an easy thing to give.

Not in Jinyoung’s life. Not after everything that had happened.

But there was genuineness in Daehwi’s voice. And he looked so sincere, as if he really wanted to help Jinyoung through his troubles.

Heart beating faster, he took the younger boy’s hand.

It wasn’t as if he had anything to lose. And perhaps— maybe... Just _maybe_ , after all of this he would gain something.

Daehwi smiled, making Jinyoung feel like things were really going to be okay.

“Thank you,” Daehwi said. “Okay. Let’s go home.”

“So,” Jinyoung mumbled, as Daehwi began leading him to the smashed window frame. “Do you guys have a helicopter or what...?”

Daehwi let out a laugh, and it reminded Jinyoung of musical chimes when the wind blew through it. “We’re not riding a helicopter.”

“Then what are...” Voice trailing off, the realization dawned on Jinyoung.

“I did say you have to take a leap of faith,” Daehwi replied with a smile.

“I didn’t think you meant it _literally.”_

“Don’t worry.” Daehwi’s grip on his hand tightened, and Jinyoung found himself squeezing back. “Just trust me.”

There was a _crash_ behind them. Jinyoung glanced over his shoulder to see Woojin landing on his back, a group of men rushing towards him. Woojin quickly climbed to his feet, letting out a yell as he raised his fists and clashed with the guards halfway.

“Daehwi,” Jinyoung quickly said, nudging the boy beside him. Some of the men had looked in their direction, raising their weapons—

“Jump,” Daehwi said.

“What—”

“NOW!”

Jinyoung closed his eyes and jumped.

Touching nothing but air, the two boys fell through the window. The sound of gunshots filled their ears as bullets whizzed over their heads.

The wind tore at his hair and clothes. Jinyoung couldn’t help but open his eyes. He saw the streets below them, the buildings and the thousands of lights, and it all looked like some sort of strange dream city— seeing everyone from up high.

Jinyoung glanced at Daehwi and their interlocked hands. Daehwi had a serene smile on his face, the utmost trust in his eyes. It was quite a sight— Lee Daehwi, with the blurry city lights around him that continued to move as they fell.

And then Jinyoung’s body hit something.

Letting out a tiny _“oof”,_ Jinyoung then breathed in and out, willing himself to calm down. He realized that he and Daehwi were no longer falling. He had landed on something soft— something _feathery_ and _moving._

He lifted his head. His jaw dropped, and he wondered if he was perhaps dreaming after all.

The two boys were on a giant raven. With big mighty wings, they were flying thousands of feet in the air, soaring left and right to dodge the bullets still aimed at them.

“What—” Jinyoung gasped, wrapping his arm around the raven’s neck, afraid he would fall.

“Meet Seongwoo-hyung,” Daehwi said brightly.

The raven let out a loud caw.

“He— He’s a bird?”

“No, he’s human. A Light, just like us. He transforms and stuff.”

The raven let out another caw.

Jinyoung just nodded. He didn’t know what to say.

“Don’t worry about Woojin-hyung and Jihoon-hyung,” Daehwi said, letting out a yelp as Seongwoo suddenly dove down. Seconds later and they rose higher in the air again. “We’re safe from the bullets now, I think. Thanks, hyung.”

A third caw, slightly apologetic.

“Woojin-hyung and Jihoon-hyung can take care of themselves. I trust them. Daniel-hyung will pick them up and bring them back to headquarters.” Daehwi then glanced over his shoulder. “Speaking of Daniel-hyung... You should look behind you.”

Jinyoung did just that and felt his jaw dropping again.

The tall skyscraper was covered in what looked like a blizzard. No, it _was_ a blizzard. The clouds above and around the skyscraper were thick and swirling, pouring snow onto the building below. Soon the blizzard thickened, obscuring the building from sight, blinding the occupants of the building to the view outside.

And yet the buildings around maintained untouched, save for a few stray snowflakes.

A blizzard, right in the middle of a city. Just for one single building.

“That,” Daehwi said proudly, “is the power of Kang Daniel.”

“Wow.” It was all Jinyoung could say. _Wow._

“He secured our escape. You should thank him later.”

Jinyoung nodded, feeling his arms and legs weaken.

“By the way.” Daehwi was looking at him with a curious face. “I haven’t gotten your name yet.”

Jinyoung stared back. They were flying at a slower speed now, already high up in the air.

In all of the chaos happening, was it weird to find a feeling of calmness in the younger boy’s eyes?

He realized that they were still holding hands. In a way, he was still afraid that they would fall. But Daehwi gave his fingers a small squeeze, as if to reassure him yet again, that they would be okay.

“Jinyoung,” he finally said. “My name is Bae Jinyoung.”

Daehwi’s smile grew. “It’s nice to meet you, Bae Jinyoung.”

The city continued to bustle underneath them. And Jinyoung wondered— wondered and _hoped—_ that he really would gain something from all of this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve always wanted to write this kind of story.  
> This is also my first time writing Jinhwi, so I’m super excited!
> 
>  
> 
> The other characters will make their appearance in the next chapters :)
> 
>  
> 
> Feel free to scream at me in the comments ♥ I'd love to hear what you guys think
> 
>  
> 
> ___  
> I'm also on twitter if you want to see me crying about various fandoms (and occasional tweets about story progresses): [@myday_blackrose](https://twitter.com/myday_blackrose)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guuuys.
> 
> Sorry this took so long to update. I wanted to write up the plotline for the entire fic first from the beginning to the end, making sure each subplot was strong enough before I continued writing the chapters (I always kept adding more and more because I felt that what I wrote wasn’t enough lol)
> 
> ((Lemme just say that I have a lot planned hohoho))
> 
> Sooo I’m ready to tell this story now :) here we go!

 

 

 

 

Minhyun didn’t want to get blood on his hands. At least not this time. But it seemed as if the odds were against him.

In a way, he wasn’t surprised. Things usually didn’t go according to plan for people like him.

He was walking down a dimly lit hallway, his eyes set straight on the door in front of him. There were men scattered over the floor, groaning and injured and clutching at their heads. One tried to climb to his feet, cursing under his breath.

Minhyun waved his hand and the man crumpled to the ground again.

 _Finish the job and you can go home,_ Minhyun kept repeating to himself. _Just finish the job._

Loosening the black tie around his neck, Minhyun glanced up— at the ceiling and the high walls full of portraits. He passed by a small table with what must have been a priceless vase on top of it.

He wondered how it would be like to live all alone in a huge mansion like this. His target must have gotten used to it— or perhaps sought for it.

Eitherway, it wasn’t of importance. Not to Minhyun.

Upon reaching the door, Minhyun took in a deep breath. He rolled back the sleeves of his white dress shirt, watching his hands start to glow. It was time.

He swung open the door and was immediately greeted with the clicking of guns, pointed straight at his head.

“Don’t move,” a voice beside him said.

Minhyun blinked calmly, taking in his surroundings. His target’s room was as spacious and well-furnished as predicted. There were only two guards in the room— both at Minhyun's sides with pistols aimed at him. But he didn’t spare the attention to little details, focusing quickly on the man standing near the window.

Noting how his target was only a few feet away, Minhyun waited.

The man near the window finally spoke.

“Who sent you?”

Instead of answering, Minhyun addressed his target. “Mr. Park. You are to step down from your position as director of the company. Give that position to your son.”

Minhyun hated how his target had the same surname as his friends back at the organization. He knew that it shouldn’t have bothered him. Park was an extremely common name and the man in front of Minhyun had no connection at all with his friends.

But even the smallest of similarities made the target more human in Minhyun’s eyes— and that was what he least wanted at the moment. It was easier to get the job done when you didn’t think of your target as a person.

 _This_ Park was cursing under his breath. “That little bastard! So my own son is behind all this?”

Again, Minhyun didn’t answer the question. He continued, “I’m giving you the chance to step down willingly. Hand over the position to your son, and I’ll leave.”

“You’re in no position to say that.”

“I took down all of your guards outside,” Minhyun said, unfazed. “I could easily do the same here.”

“You’re part of The Light, aren’t you, boy?” Park spat. “You and that cursed organization. The world wants all of you gone!”

“Since you’re aware of where I’m from, you should know what I’m capable of.”

His gaze unwavering on his target, Minhyun focused his attention to the two guards that flanked him. The glow around his hands brightened.

Mind control always felt like digging a tunnel. He had to dig deeper and deeper till he got a grasp on what he wanted. He had controlled his powers a long time ago, so taking over two guards, no matter how heavily armed, was a piece of cake.

Soon the guns were no longer aimed at him. The guards’ eyes glazed over, as if in a trance, and soon they directed their aim at the man near the window.

Park flinched. “You fucking freak.”

“Step down,” Minhyun said calmly. He focused harder, watching the guards begin to move closer towards their boss.

“Even if I did, no one would believe it.” Park’s eyes were glancing to his left. “They would never believe that I’d actually given my company to my son.”

Minhyun’s tone was cold. “My job is only to follow your son’s orders. Whether people believe in the results, it doesn’t matter to me.”

Taking a few steps back, Park slowly edged towards a nearby table. “Do you want money, boy? I can give you as much as you want. More than my son paid you.”

“I’ll give you three warnings. One.”

“Forget double the amount. I’ll pay you triple. Or quadruple! Just say the price!”

“Two.”

“Or maybe it’s not money you want! What is it, boy? I’ll give you anything!”

 _Oh, there are a lot of things I want,_ Minhyun thought. _But you could never give me those things._

“Three.”

It all happened in what felt like a split second. Park had lunged for the table, grasping onto a shotgun that he had hidden behind it. He lifted it up, pulling the trigger—

Closing his eyes, Minhyun raised a hand at one of the guards, who immediately ran back to him with arms open.

_BANG!_

Warm liquid splattered all over Minhyun’s face and clothes. He tried not to think of the guard that he had just used as a shield— tried not to think of what must have been blown off in the shot. He focused on lifting his other arm, on digging into Park’s mind.

Park wasn’t as easy to control as the guards. His determination acted as a blockade against the mind penetration— but only for a little while. Soon, Park let out a scream and dropped the gun, clutching at his head.

Minhyun walked towards his target, and he could feel the blood from the dead guard seeping into the soles of his shoes.

“GET OUT!” Park bellowed. “GET OUT OF MY HEAD, YOU MONSTER!”

“Let’s try this one more time,” Minhyun said coolly. “Step down.”

 

 

 

Ten minutes later, Minhyun was hunched over a sink, splashing water all over his face.

The mansion had many bathrooms. Minhyun had chosen the closest one and stumbled inside, knowing that he had a few minutes for himself.

He breathed in and out, trying not to notice how the sink soon became a pool of water and blood. This wasn’t new to him. He had seen a similar view many times.

After a dozen more splashes, Minhyun shut off the water, letting the red liquid disappear down the drain.

Clutching onto the edges of the sink, he glanced up at the mirror in front of him.

There were traces of blood still caked in his dark, brown hair (he made note to wash it off), but his face and neck appeared clean. His _shirt_ on the other hand... it was as if an artist had grabbed a can of red paint and splashed it all over a white canvas.

It was gruesome to look at. There was no doubt blood on his black pants as well, but thankfully it wasn’t visible due to the dark color of the fabric.

He shut his eyes. The image of the guard he had controlled flashed in his mind. The serene and clueless look on the guard’s face before getting his back blown off... Minhyun knew it would be a haunting, unforgettable image.

It was one of many images that would always haunt Hwang Minhyun, in his dreams and his waking hours.

Opening his eyes, Minhyun glanced at his reflection in the mirror. His gaze looked empty, and he wasn’t trembling at all.

_He had gotten used to all this._

And it was moments like this when he didn’t quite recognize himself.

He turned on the tap and splashed his face again. He needed to go home.

 

 

 

The air was cold when he stepped out of the mansion. Minhyun had retrieved his trench coat where he had left it near the front door, wrapping it tightly around his body to hide the blood stains.

He tapped at the earpiece that he now wore. There was the familiar sound of static before he heard a familiar voice.

_“Minhyun.”_

“I finished the job,” Minhyun said as he began to walk. “I’m heading back now.”

_“Good work. We’ll see you soon.”_

“Jisung-hyung.”

_“Yes?”_

“How are the others? Have they finished their mission yet?”

_“They have. They’re on the way back with the new recruit.”_

“Okay. I’ll see you later, hyung.”

_“Be careful on your way back, Minhyun.”_

More static, and then silence.

Park owned a large chunk of land. It was large and isolated enough from other houses that one gunshot couldn’t be easily heard.

And, if Minhyun’s guess was correct, Park also had soundproofed a good part of his mansion. Which was odd but made it all the more easier for Minhyun to slip away without anyone noticing.

There would be no running away from police officers tonight.

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

Seonho liked to hang out near the sea.

Whenever Guanlin couldn’t find him, the first place he would check was the place where the waves hit the shore— and there his little brother would be.

With the sand underneath his feet, Guanlin walked towards the lone figure sitting in front of the sea. It was late at night, so the waves were high and strong. But Seonho knew where to sit so he wouldn’t get wet.

It was quiet. They were, after all, far away from the city and any neighboring towns. It was as isolated as any place could ever be, with looming high cliffs surrounding the beach area and jagged rocks scattered around the waters.

In other words, it was not a place where people would like to visit.

“Hey,” Guanlin greeted, taking a seat next to the younger boy.

“Hi, hyung,” Seonho said. “What’re you doing all the way out here?”

“Looking for you, of course.”

Seonho let out a hum. He had his legs drawn to his chest, hugging them. “Headquarters can be a bit stuffy, don’t you think?”

Guanlin thought it over. His brother had a point. “So you wanted some fresh air?”

A cold breeze blew by. Similar to Seonho, Guanlin wore jeans and a jacket, but the wind still managed to penetrate through. He tried not to let it bother him.

Resting his chin on his knees, Seonho answered, “And I’m also waiting for Daehwi-hyung and the others. They’re bringing a new recruit. I really want to meet him. It’d be nice to make a new friend.”

 _Making friends_ , Guanlin thought, feeling a slight painful squeeze of his heart. He wanted his little brother to be making friends in a school or in a friendly neighborhood, just like any other normal 16-year-old.

Not in a hated organization. Not in an environment where everybody had to constantly worry about surviving the next day. _Not in this sort of place._

But Guanlin pulled on a smile, patting his brother on the back. “I’m sure he’ll like you.”

“What if he doesn’t, though?” Seonho muttered with a pout. “I— I mean, what if he doesn’t like me because...”

Guanlin knew what Seonho was going to say. “Because of what?” he said gently.

Seonho looked like he wanted to cry. It was a sensitive topic, after all. “Because my powers haven’t appeared yet.”

“Hey.” Guanlin wrapped an arm around the other boy’s shoulders. “Your powers don’t define who you are. _You_ define who you are. People like Seonho for being Seonho. Not for the powers that Seonho may have.”

Sniffling, Seonho nodded. “Thanks, hyung.”

 _If anything,_ Guanlin thought to himself. _Not having powers is a blessing._

“Hyung.”

“Yes?”

“Can you do that thing with the waves?”

“What, right now?”

“Yeah!” Seonho pulled away, his eyes shining with anticipation. “Cheer me up, hyung!”

Guanlin couldn’t say no to that. Even when they were little kids, despite Guanlin being only a year older, he always had a soft spot for his younger sibling. And with the way things were now, keeping Seonho’s spirits up became much more important than before.

So Guanlin stood up, dusting off his pants. “Alright.”

He walked over to the sea, holding out his hand and concentrating.

It felt like the water was an extension of his body. He felt the flow of the waves and focused on the one heading to shore. Soon the wave grew bigger and bigger, rising a couple meters in the air.

Seonho was clapping his hands excitedly as the body of water drew near in their direction.

It should have been alarming, really. But the brothers had experienced more than this— a large wave careening towards them was nothing.

Just as the wave was about to hit them, Guanlin flicked his hands, as if he was the conductor of an orchestra. The wave split in the middle, shooting off to the sides around them, not even once touching the two boys who were completely safe and dry.

Seconds passed and soon the walls of water subdued into tiny waves that disappeared into the sand. Guanlin set down his hands, letting the sea return to its original flow.

Seonho jumped to his feet and whooped. Eyes bright, he turned to his big brother.

“Hyung! That was so cool!”

Guanlin grinned. At least Seonho was smiling again.

“I wish I had powers like you, hyung!”

Trying not to frown, Guanlin could only think in his mind.

_If I never had these powers, we would never be here in the first place._

Just then, Seonho let out another shout as he pointed at the sky. “There’s Seongwoo-hyung!”

Guanlin looked up and saw a large, familiar raven in the distance. He watched the bird fly closer, soaring through the sky and heading towards one of the area’s many cliffs.

“I see two people on Seongwoo-hyung’s back,” Seonho said. “One of them could be the new recruit!”

Seconds later and Seongwoo continued to descend towards the wall of rock. And soon, he was gone, as if swallowed by the cliff side.

“I guess we should— Seonho!”

Seonho was already sprinting towards where the raven had disappeared, yelling over his shoulder, “Hurry up, hyung! Let’s go meet them!”

“Seonho, slow down!” Guanlin chased after him, making sure Seonho didn’t trip over any stray logs or rocks.

Their footprints in the sand were quickly erased by the sea’s waves.

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

Yoon Jisung let out a sigh before chugging down what must have been his third cup of coffee.

Tired eyes staring at screens, his hand flew over keyboards at a lightning pace. There was so much to be done, he didn’t know if it was possible to finish it all before sunset.

There was the sound of a door opening from behind him. After hearing footsteps walking in his direction, he felt a touch on his shoulder.

“Jisung-hyung.”

Still seated, Jisung looked up to see Ha Sungwoon holding his own cup of coffee and a brown folder in the other hand.

Sungwoon looked uneasy. Jisung knew that look.

The room’s lights suddenly seemed too bright, making Jisung feel dizzy.

“They’re giving Minhyun another job,” Sungwoon then said quietly, his grip on the folder tightening.

 _“Already?”_ The disbelief in Jisung’s voice was strong, though he knew this wasn’t the first time that Minhyun was terribly overworked. Jisung's eyes were off the screens, looking at the folder as if it was some horrible creature.

Sungwoon looked just as upset. “Unfortunately, yes.”

“Minhyun _just_ finished this one. They’re not letting him rest even for a little bit?”

“It’s times like this when I say _fuck the organization_.” Despite Sungwoon’s small stature, he was quite terrifying when angry. “We’re not going to let them keep doing this to him. To all of us.”

Jisung leaned back heavily in his chair. The fatigue on his face made him look older, and there were shadows underneath his eyes. “The other group leaders and I scheduled a meeting sometime this week. I think it’ll be a rather serious one. You’ll come with me, right?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you, Sungwoon.”

“Hyung.”

Sungwoon’s voice had softened.

“Yes?”

“I think you should get some sleep. You’ve been awake for days and you look like you’re about to collapse soon.”

Jisung gestured to the screens that took up the entire wall. Then he gestured around the room—at its other three walls that were full of boards with tacked-up notes, at the table that was scattered with papers, at the ceiling with its bright lights, at the empty glasses of coffee.

“There are a lot of things I haven’t finished up yet,” Jisung then said. “A lot of things I need to think about, too. I haven’t finished the reports, there’s the new recruit, the meeting, and Daniel...” His voice trailed off, the worry in his eyes evident.

Sungwoon frowned. “What’s wrong with Daniel?”

“Daniel won’t tell anyone, but he’s—”

The sound of static suddenly filled Jisung’s ear. He tapped the earpiece he had on.

He heard Seongwoo’s voice.

_”Jisung-hyung. We’ve just arrived. I’m sending him your way.”_

“Alright,” Jisung answered. Sungwoon’s concerned eyes were still on him. “Thank you.”

The static then disappeared. For a while, Jisung stared at one of the screens. He then spoke again.

“Let’s hope the new recruit will be okay here.”

“Hyung, I really think you should get some sleep.”

“But I still have to—”

“No buts. Leave it to me, hyung. I’ll give the introduction to the new recruit. I’ll also brief Minhyun on his next mission. _You_ , on the other hand, need to hit the sheets. The reports can wait till morning.”

Jisung looked reluctant, but Sungwoon took his hand and encouraged him to climb to his feet. Finally, Jisung stood up and stumbled towards the door.

“You need to sleep too,” the older man remarked.

“I will. You need it a lot more than me, though.”

With a sigh and another _thank you_ , Jisung left the room.

As he walked down the corridor, his footsteps felt heavy.

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

“You okay?”

The second that Jinyoung slid off the giant raven, his legs felt like jelly and he fell over. He could feel concrete underneath his hands— his shaking hands.

Everything was weird. He had flown on a giant raven (the giant raven, who had shrunk and turned into a human being— a tall, handsome man with dark hair), a portion of the cliff side had slid open to reveal a passageway in the rock, and here he was...  _wherever_ this place was.

“Jinyoung-hyung? You okay?”

Jinyoung then glanced up. Daehwi was holding out a hand to him.

“I’m fine,” he finally said. He took Daehwi’s hand nonetheless and shakily climbed to his feet. He glanced around to see that they were in a sort of cavern that much resembled a cave. The bit of cliff side had closed up again, engulfing the room in a darkness that was barely saved by the small lamps propped up on walls. And in front of him, Jinyoung could see a large door.

The tall man— Seongwoo— was stretching his arms and letting out a tired yawn. “Wow, I’m drained.” He then turned to the two young boys with a grin. “Sorry if it was a bumpy ride.”

“I’ve been on worse,” Daehwi remarked.

Jinyoung just nodded silently.

“I’m Ong Seongwoo, by the way!” Seongwoo then said, and Jinyoung shyly shook his hand. “Nice to meet you, Jinyoung.”

“You were a bird,” Jinyoung then muttered.

“Oh, I’ve been many things,” Seongwoo answered with a chuckle. “Hey, I know everything may seem odd and it’ll take some getting used to. But I assure you, you'll get used to it quickly.” He then gestured towards the door, which was a dull color that blended in with the walls. “Welcome to The Light headquarters.”

 

 

 

It was as if someone had carved out the cliff, replacing its contents with a bunker inside.

A well-lit, well-polished bunker, that is.

Jinyoung remembered watching secret agent movies when he was a child. In those movies, secret organizations would have hidden headquarters somewhere deep in the mountains or other odd locations, yet the inside would look like it belonged to a high tech building in the middle of the city.

The Light’s headquarters wasn’t as impressive as what he saw in movies, but it was still enough to make his jaw drop.

The ceiling was high like a chapel, the walls painted a shiny gray-blue color, and he saw countless hallways and doors in each wall. He wondered where they all led to.

It wasn’t dark. The room was illuminated by what looked like giant LED lights stretching from one side of the ceiling to the other. Not only that, but a soft glow radiated from large screens that were also stuck to the walls. Jinyoung glanced at a few screens— one showed the time, another showed an aerial view of Seoul. He didn’t have time to look at more because his attention was spread all over the place.

There were boys and girls walking from one hallway to the other, appearing and disappearing from the vast main room that Jinyoung was in. Some glanced in his direction and gave polite smiles. Some even looked like they wanted to approach but kept their distance, which Jinyoung was thankful for.

“Everyone knows not to mob new recruits,” Daehwi explained, as if he had read Jinyoung’s mind. “We all know how overwhelming it is on the first day, so they’ll give you space. Until the next day, that is.”

“We’re all nice,” Seongwoo commented. “Everyone who’s a Light, that is. I mean, we’re all on the same boat so we gotta stick together. Those men in suits, on the other hand...”

Jinyoung had noticed them. There were what seemed to be a dozen adults clad in suits, stationed at different sides of the room. They all had serious, unfriendly expressions on their faces.

“...They’re not so nice,” Seongwoo finished.

“So how do things work here, anyways?” Jinyoung asked. “Do you all have one boss or what?”

“We should start making our way to Jisung-hyung first.” Seongwoo began to walk, and the two younger boys followed. “I’ll explain on the way.”

“Who’s Jisung-hyung...?”

“I’ll get to that, kid.” Seongwoo gave him a grin. “The organization does have one big boss, along with his executives— or higher-ups, we call ‘em. There are also his underlings that keep watch on us. Underlings such as those men in suits. God, they’re annoying.”

“Careful, hyung,” Daehwi whispered, and Jinyoung saw a hint of fear flash across the younger boy’s eyes.

Seongwoo coughed, eyeing his surroundings as if he was being watched— which was most likely the case. “Then there’s us— the Lights. The kids with superpowers. Some of us were dragged here against our will—”

 _“Hyung,”_ Daehwi warned.

“—But some of us sought for shelter. For refuge. For safety.” Seongwoo had stopped in front of a large door, and he pressed a button on the side. A second later and the door slid open. “Hop in, kids.”

Jinyoung looked hesitant, but Daehwi gave him another reassuring smile and he found himself walking into what appeared to be an elevator. The door had swung shut, and the small enclosed space began to descend.

“How many of us are there?” Jinyoung then asked. He had been curious.

“A lot,” Daehwi answered. “We’re divided into groups because there’s so many of us. Each group has a leader. The leader gets the orders from the big boss and higher-ups. And the leaders are the ones that report back to them.”

“Is the group leader also a Light?”

“Yep. The leaders are just like us, but with more responsibility. They look after all the Lights in their group.”

The door had opened to reveal another hallway. Seongwoo walked out and the boys followed.

“How many people are in each group?” Jinyoung asked.

“It varies,” Daehwi said. “There are four leaders in total. There’s Nayoung-noona. Her group has eleven people, including her.”

“That’s quite a lot.”

“Eunbi-noona has more. Her group has twelve people.”

“Whoa.”

Daehwi continued, “There’s Taehyun-hyung. Including him, his group has six—”

“Seven,” Seongwoo cut in.

Daehwi bit his lip. There it was again, that flash of uneasiness in his usually bright eyes.

Jinyoung also began to feel uneasy. “What is it?”

“What we’re told,” Daehwi said quietly, “is that Taehyun-hyung lost one of his group members.”

“Except he didn’t,” Seongwoo said, and the air suddenly became tense. “Don’t believe what the higher-ups tell you, boys. That ‘lost’ member had superpowers that were much too valuable for the organization. There’s no way they actually ‘got rid’ of him, like they claimed. He’s somewhere out there. Taedong is _definitely_ somewhere out there. Taehyun-hyung’s looking for him. And he _will_ find him.”

 _“Hyung,”_ Daehwi then said, and there was a slight desperation to his voice.

Jinyoung glanced behind him to see one of the men in suits, just a couple meters behind.

He felt a chill run down his spine.

Seongwoo closed his mouth and pulled on a forced smile. He clasped his hands together. “Now, to _our_ group.”

“Right,” Daehwi said with an equally forced smile. “Jisung-hyung is the leader of our group. Including him, there are nine of us.” He then nudged Jinyoung on the side playfully. “You’re going to be put in our group. So we have ten people now! There’s also one boy whose powers haven’t appeared yet. Because of that, he’s not assigned into any of the groups, but we always take care of him well.”

Jinyoung nodded, silently relieved to be in the same team as Daehwi. He wanted to be with at least one familiar face.

“Sungwoon-hyung sometimes acts as co-leader, though,” Daehwi added. “Second in command.”

“The burden gets too big at times,” Seongwoo explained. He looked a bit sad. “I feel sorry for the leaders. Just like us, they have no choice but to accept orders. We really can’t do anything about it.”

Silently, Jinyoung continued to follow them down the hallway. For a split second, he remembered the look on Daehwi’s face when they first met, and the words the younger boy had said.

_“We did things we may not be proud of...”_

Jinyoung tried to focus on other things.

 _So there are around forty Lights in total here,_ he thought. Many kids with superpowers just like him. So maybe he wasn’t as alone as he thought.

“Well,” Seongwoo said, stopping in front of a door. “Here we are.”

“Jisung-hyung just wants to talk to you for a bit,” Daehwi said, patting Jinyoung on the back. “We can get some rest right after.”

Jinyoung’s hand shot out, grabbing onto Daehwi’s wrist. “Will you come with me?”

As Daehwi stared at him in surprise, Jinyoung couldn’t help but think just how at ease he felt with Daehwi’s presence. It was like the younger boy had a calming effect on him.

Everything was so new and scary to Jinyoung. He wanted Daehwi to be there with him.

“Sure, of course,” Daehwi finally said, smiling. “I’ll come with you.”

Seongwoo waved his hand. “Then I guess I’ll get going. I’m feeling super drained from all that flying.”

Daehwi flashed him a thumbs up. “Okay, Seongwoo-hyung."

At Seongwoo’s retreating back, Jinyoung felt that he had to at least say a few words. He called after the older man.

“H-Hyung!”

Seongwoo glanced over his shoulder. His gaze had softened.

“Yes, Jinyoung?”

“Th... Thanks for catching me and Daehwi,” Jinyoung said. “And for flying us all the way here.”

Seongwoo had a warm smile. Jinyoung was happy that he got to see it.

“You’re welcome, kid. I hope you enjoy your time with us.”

After Seongwoo had disappeared behind the elevator, the two boys faced the door again. As Daehwi knocked on the wood, Jinyoung took a deep breath.

“Come in,” a voice said from behind the door.

“Oh, that’s Sungwoon-hyung,” Daehwi whispered.

Jinyoung was wondering what type of person Sungwoon was. A second in command type of person. Maybe he was large and scary and serious and—

The door opened to reveal the opposite of that.

A young man leaned his back against a table in the middle of the room. He had fluffy-looking brown hair, milky skin, and a kind face. Wearing a knitted sweater that reached his hands, the word that came in Jinyoung’s mind was _“soft”._

The man looked very soft. In a good way.

“Hi, you must be the new recruit. I’m Ha Sungwoon.”

Jinyoung stepped into the room. He glanced at the table, saw the scattered papers on it.

“Sorry for the mess,” Sungwoon said with a smile. “It’s been pretty hectic here. Please do have a seat. You must be tired.”

Before Jinyoung sat himself down on one of the chairs near the table, he realized that Sungwoon was shorter than him.

“Thanks for bringing him here, Daehwi,” Sungwoon said, as the youngest boy took a seat next to Jinyoung.

“You’re welcome, hyung.”

“I’m—” Jinyoung thought he should introduce himself quickly. “I’m Bae Jinyoung.”

Sungwoon smiled kindly. “How old are you, Jinyoung?”

“I’m seventeen, sir.”

Chuckling, Sungwoon said, “No need to call me ‘sir’. Just call me ‘hyung’.”

“Okay, hyung.”

“Well then.” Sungwoon was walking towards the corner of the room, where cups and sachets were stacked upon a small round table. “Would you like some hot chocolate, Jinyoung?”

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

“Hyung, are we there yet?”

“No, Woojin, not yet. Patience, dear child.”

“Humph.”

Daniel laughed, his hands on the steering wheel. He spared one glance at the rear-view mirror, seeing Woojin pouting and Jihoon staring at his snaggle-toothed friend.

“Control your boyfriend, Jihoon,” Daniel teased.

Jihoon began, “He’s not my—”

Woojin let out a groan and flopped all over the backseat, his head almost lying on Jihoon’s lap. “I wanna quickly meet the new kid!”

“What was he like?” Daniel asked, noting how Jihoon’s face turned a light shade of red.

“Deep and dark,” Woojin answered. “He looked scared and confused.”

“Like a lot of us, then,” Daniel said, focusing on the empty road again. “I hope he can adapt to our crazy pace.” A pause. “Did you see him use his powers, though? I heard it’s pretty destructive.”

“No. Daehwi managed to pacify him.”

“I see. That’s quite amazing of Daehwi.”

“No kidding. I was afraid Daehwi was gonna get blown to smithereens.”

“That would be horrible.”

“Right? I told Daehwi not to approach the new recruit like that, but he wouldn’t listen. He’s stubborn like that.” Woojin then sat up, leaning against the back of the driver’s seat and putting a hand on Daniel’s arm. “Daniel-hyung, can you drive fas—?” His voice then trailed off. Daniel was wearing a coat but even through the fabric, Woojin could feel the chilliness underneath his fingers. “Whoa, hyung. You’re really cold.”

“I’m always cold, Woojin. I’m the dude that shoots snow out of his hands, remember?”

“Hm.”

“Since the road is empty, I guess I can drive a little faster. Hold on, kids.”

As the van careened down the road, Jihoon gripped tightly onto Woojin’s shoulder.

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

Minutes later and Jinyoung’s mind was spinning.

Sungwoon had tried to explain things slowly and gently, but it still took a bit of effort to process all the new information. By then, Jinyoung had finished his second cup of hot chocolate (which did well to calm his nerves).

When they said their goodbyes and left the room, Jinyoung and Daehwi walked down the hallway to the elevator.

“So let me summarize what Sungwoon-hyung said,” Jinyoung was saying.

Daehwi hummed in response.

“I joined your group,” Jinyoung began. “With Jisung-hyung as the leader.”

“Yup.”

“And I’m going to get some training to learn to control my powers.”

“That is correct.”

“After I learn to control my powers, I’m going to go on missions with you guys.”

“Correct as well.”

“In return, the organization gives me safety and accommodations.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Okay then...” Jinyoung nodded. “I guess I can comprehend that.”

“Oh, and you’ll be rooming with me,” Daehwi added. “It’ll be fun. I’ve always wanted a roommate.”

The younger boy flashed him another smile. Jinyoung felt a slight tug of his own lips.

“Sounds great,” he replied simply.

The elevator door slid open, and Jinyoung held back the urge to scream.

A man had stepped out, his clothes splattered with what looked like blood. He was tall, easily looming over both Daehwi and Jinyoung. His fox-like eyes were casted on the ground, but when he glanced up to see the two boys, the man quickly wrapped the trench coat he wore tightly around his body, hiding the stained clothes underneath.

Too late. Jinyoung had already seen it.

“Oh, Minhyun-hyung!” Daehwi greeted. “You’re back too!”

“I just got back,” the man— _Minhyun—_ replied. “Glad to see you boys got here safely.” He then glanced at Jinyoung, who flinched underneath the stare. “You must be the new recruit.”

“Ye-Yes,” Jinyoung stuttered.

“Jinyoung, this is Minhyun-hyung,” Daehwi introduced. “Minhyun-hyung, this is Jinyoung.”

“Nice to meet you, Jinyoung.” Minhyun pulled on a warm smile. He was an attractive and friendly-looking man, but Jinyoung’s mind was too preoccupied by the bloody clothes to comprehend. “Welcome to The Light. I’m guessing you’ll be in the same group as me and Daehwi.”

Jinyoung nodded. From this proximity, he could see a slight red hue on Minhyun's face and neck.  _Looks like the blood hasn't been completely washed off yet._

“Then we’ll be seeing each other a lot,” Minhyun said. With one hand still clutching the trench coat to keep it in place, he held out his other hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Jinyoung.”

Shaking the older man’s hand, Jinyoung mumbled, “Nice to meet you too.” He had expected a strong, firm, and scary grip. But instead, Minhyun shook his hand gently and slowly.

“I’ll see you boys later.”

Minhyun carefully released his hand before heading in the other direction, towards the room where Sungwoon waited.

Daehwi tugged on the sleeve of Jinyoung’s hoodie, and together the both of them clambered into the elevator.

“Minhyun-hyung’s a really nice person,” Daehwi said, pressing the button that would take them up.

“He had blood all over his clothes,” Jinyoung breathed, feeling lightheaded.

“Hmm, I do wonder how that happened.” Daehwi bit his lip in worry. “Minhyun-hyung’s usually very careful. And he hates messes like that.”

“All over his clothes,” Jinyoung repeated under his breath.

“Okay, I know how shocking that must have looked, but he really is a nice person—”

The elevator door slid open, cutting off Daehwi’s next words. They had just stepped out when Jinyoung heard loud footsteps heading in their direction.

“Hey, new kid!”

“Seonho, slow down—”

Before Jinyoung knew what was happening, somebody had grabbed his hand, shaking it excitedly.

“Hello, I’m Seonho! What’s your name? Let’s be friends!”

It was a young boy— perhaps even younger than Daehwi. He had large, curious eyes that gave off a childish vibe and a cheerful smile. Gripping tightly onto Jinyoung’s hand, Seonho cocked his head to the side, eagerly waiting for an answer.

“I— I’m Jinyoung.”

“Nice to meet you, Jinyoung!”

“He’s older than you, Seonho,” Daehwi said.

Seonho corrected himself without missing a beat. “Nice to meet you, Jinyoung-hyung!”

Seconds later and another boy joined them. Although both he and Seonho had the same black hair, this one was a lot taller. Jinyoung almost thought they were twins. Were they twins?

Along with Daehwi, these new people were making Jinyoung reevaluate the image of The Light that he had in his mind. These were kind, innocent-looking kids who absolutely did not look like they belonged to a criminal organization.

“Hi, Guanlin,” Daehwi said, addressing the tall boy who was now gasping for breath.

“Hey,” Guanlin answered. He then turned to Jinyoung with an apologetic look. “I’m sorry— My brother gets really excited when meeting new people.”

 _Oh, so they’re related,_ Jinyoung thought. _Are they twins, though?_

“It’s alright,” Jinyoung said. He realized that Seonho was still holding onto him.

Daehwi clasped his hands together. “Let’s go to our rooms! We can get acquainted there.”

“Jinyoung-hyung can sleep in my room!” Seonho said. “He can be my roommate!”

“Are you kicking me out?” Guanlin muttered.

“He can share my bed!”

Daehwi stuck out his tongue. “Too bad. He’s already with me.”

Seonho huffed in disappointment. “Then I wanna give him the tour tomorrow!”

“I already promised to give the tour,” Daehwi chirped.

“Then I wanna come!”

Jinyoung was silent the whole time. But he felt that tug on his lips again— an almost smile.

He had only been here for roughly an hour and yet... he could feel himself getting used to this.

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

Sungwoon gasped when Minhyun stepped into the room.

“I think I accidentally scared the new kid,” Minhyun said, regret in his voice.

“Minhyun! What happened to you?”

“Oh, this...”

Minhyun glanced down at his shirt. The blood had dried up, at least.

Sungwoon was quickly walking to him. “Are you hurt?”

“No, hyung, I’m fine. It’s not my blood.” Minhyun smiled a reassuring smile. “I was just a little reckless. I lost focus for a split second and this happened. Sorry, I didn’t have time to change first.”

Sungwoon let out a sigh of relief, stopping in front of Minhyun. “You’re okay, and that’s what matters.” Then he looked uneasy. “Damnit, it’s making me feel so bad for dropping this on you...”

“What is it?” Minhyun asked, though he had a hunch. The smile slowly melted off his face.

“The higher-ups already assigned you a new job.”

_I knew it._

“I see.”

“I’m sorry, Minhyun.”

“It’s alright.”

“It’s not alright,” Sungwoon said, and there was hurt in his voice.

Minhyun tried to smile again. He patted his friend on the shoulder. “You look like you haven’t slept in a while either, hyung.”

“Jisung-hyung’s had it worst.”

“Yeah. I see that he’s not here. Is he finally getting some sleep?”

“Yes. After many coaxing.”

“Well, that’s good to hear.” Minhyun then pulled on his serious face. “Oh yeah, I need to report first. I finished the job. Minimum casualties from the target’s side. The client said he’ll send the rest of the money tomorrow morning.”

“Right... I’m glad you made it back here safely.”

“Yeah. Me too.” Minhyun tugged at the ends of his trench coat, covering the blood again. “So... my next job.”

Sungwoon sighed again— a sad one this time. “Right. Wait a sec.”

The rustling of papers filled the room. Minhyun wiped the sleep from his own eyes before Sungwoon returned with a brown folder.

Minhyun held out his hand to retrieve it. Maybe he was especially exhausted tonight— because he opened his mouth to ask a question that he usually wouldn't ask out loud.

“Do I have to kill someone again?”

Sungwoon’s fingers tightened around one end of the folder, Minhyun’s hand on the other.

After an aching silence, the older of the two finally answered. “No. Not this time. The client’s just a college kid. The target’s also a college kid. As long as the client doesn’t change his request, no physical harm will be inflicted on the target.”

“Alright. That’s good.” Minhyun wondered if the relief showed on his face. He was sure it showed.

“As far as we know, the target doesn’t have any powers. So the mind control should be pretty easy and you can finish quickly.”

“Okay. I’ll look over the files tonight and start working tomorrow.”

“No,” Sungwoon firmly said. “You clean up and get some rest. You can read it tomorrow.”

Nodding, Minhyun reassured Sungwoon that he would do just that. Sungwoon eyed him suspiciously but released the folder nonetheless.

“Goodnight, hyung. Get some rest too.”

“I will. Thanks.”

Before the door closed, Minhyun could see Sungwoon staring at the wall— at one of the many boards scattered all over it.

 

 

 

The moment Minhyun stumbled into his room, he threw his coat onto the bed and stripped himself of his shirt.

The shirt looked even worse than he thought. The blood had soaked right through the fabric, deep and thick. It was far from being saved. Tossing the shirt into a black trash bag, he made a mental note to burn it in the morning.

He then staggered into the bathroom, sparing one glance at the mirror.

Red splotches all over pale skin. He gritted his teeth and turned on the shower at full blast.

Minhyun stayed there, letting the water hit him. It took forever to completely wash the blood off his hair, his face, his body. But even after the last trace of red had disappeared from his skin, he still felt far from clean.

It was well past midnight when he finally dried himself off and changed into a simple T-shirt and pants. He sat on one end of his bed, eyeing the folder that he had placed on the small table nearby.

Minhyun was exhausted, but he knew sleep wouldn’t come easily to him anyways. So he said a silent _sorry, Sungwoon-hyung,_ and grabbed the folder, opening it carefully.

Like always, the first file was information on the client. He read over the details quickly.

 

**_Age: 23 years old_ **

**_Occupation: college student_ **

 

It became a habit to check the age first. Along with the details were the client’s contact number and photo. Minhyun quickly memorized the number and then turned the page.

For the target’s file, Minhyun found himself focusing on the photo first.

It appeared to be of a young man around Minhyun’s age. The first thing Minhyun noticed was the cheeks. The target had round, plump cheeks.

The photo must have been taken without the young man noticing. He was holding onto the strap of a guitar case that was swung over his back, his eyes not facing the camera. There was a small, bright smile on his face, a dimple showing on one of his cheeks. His pointy ears were red— hinting that the photo was taken during a cold season.

 _He’s cute,_ Minhyun thought. He then quickly scolded himself. He wasn’t supposed to think these things. It would only make the job harder.

Quickly turning his attention away from the photo, Minhyun glanced at the target’s details.

 

**_Age: 21 years old_ **

**_Occupation: college student, part-time worker at coffee shop_ **

 

His target was only a year younger than him. He tried not to think about it. _It would only make_ _the job harder._

“Name,” Minhyun read aloud, fighting the urge to glance at the photo again, “Kim Jaehwan.”

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a song playlist for Meteor Showers! It’s in chronological order according to the vibe of the fic from the beginning to end:
> 
> (Please open on Spotify if you have Spotify :D )
> 
> * [spotify](https://open.spotify.com/user/cv8q0hvy9u1qg6g4pxcm61mz9/playlist/0YX3LX8kH7TaF592059CU6?si=9UAk7pr7RGWU-65wyI2Eyg)
>   
> 
> * [youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I25NQdDeRB4&list=PL5CT9FAvxbpoVlvL0QuD3lhh-n42ehNkc)  
> 
>   
>    
> (as you can see, the story will get really intense at the end lol)
> 
>  
> 
> Each pairing also has their own theme song (also from that playlist): 
> 
> ▶ Mat Kearney - Straight Away  
> ▶ Imagine Dragons - Demons  
> ▶ Mat Kearney - Breathe In Breath Out  
> ▶ Neon Trees - Animal  
> ▶ Mike Perry - Rocksteady  
> ▶ Sleeping At Last - I'll Keep You Safe
> 
> I’ll reveal which song belongs to which pairing in the next chapters, but it might be fun to guess first lol
> 
>  
> 
> ___
> 
>  
> 
> Also a heads up:
> 
> \- cube chicks (and most probably 2sung) will be platonic. I wanted to explore other relationships besides romantic ones.
> 
> \- and uh, as some of you may have guessed from the names of the leaders:
> 
> The members of The Light are all Produce babies— Wanna One, JBJ, I.O.I, and IZ*ONE.  
> But Meteor Showers will focus on Wanna One members (+ lil Seonho), with mentions and cameos of the other group members. One subpot, though, will involve quite a lot of JBJ. But the main focus will always be on Wanna One.
> 
>  
> 
> __
> 
>  
> 
> you can find me on twitter: [@myday_blackrose](https://twitter.com/myday_blackrose)
> 
> ___
> 
> See you guys in the next chapter! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter took a long time to update too. Sorry :”)
> 
> but *gasp* look it’s a 10.8k words chapter!!

 

 

* * *

  _Breathe in, breathe out_

_Tell me all of your doubts_

_If everyone goes away, I will stay_  

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jinyoung woke up thinking that last night’s events were nothing but a dream.

That had to be it, right? A dream. Surely he did not hold hands with a sweet young boy, they did not jump off a building together, surely he did not get recruited by The Light, and surely he was all alone as always, attempting to survive until the next day.

Surely, the small yet growing ball of hope that he had felt... only existed in that dream.

_Nothing but a dream._

But when Jinyoung opened his eyes, he was proven wrong. And he felt relieved.

He was in the same room that he had fallen asleep in. It was Daehwi’s... no... it was Daehwi and _his_ room, with the high walls and the high ceiling.

On those walls were postcards of various locations— of landmarks and sights from other countries. Jinyoung saw the Statue of Liberty, the Tokyo Tower, the Eiffel Tower, and even the Northern Lights. He didn’t get the chance to ask Daehwi about the postcards. They were both exhausted from the previous night, took turns taking a quick shower, and finally fell into their respective beds.

Jinyoung was sprawled all over a bed— _his own bed—_ and for a few minutes he just stayed there, breathing steadily and recalling everything that had happened last night. Seonho and Guanlin had hung out for a bit in his and Daehwi’s room, and they talked about random things about themselves. Jinyoung noticed that there was a certain topic that all of them seemed to avoid, including himself.

They avoided talking about their pasts.

Eventually Seonho dozed off and Guanlin carried him out. After climbing into bed, Jinyoung had clutched onto the blanket that Daehwi had thrown on him. After a bright smile and words of _goodnight, sleep tight,_ Daehwi shut off the lights and the both of them fell asleep.

Along with the postcards taped neatly onto the wall, there was also a round clock that continued to tick. The hands indicated that it was well past 8 in the morning.

After deeming himself calm enough, Jinyoung threw the blanket off. Slowly, he sat up and glanced around the room.

It wasn’t a very spacious place, but a couple meters in width. Compared to the places Jinyoung had slept in before, it was more than enough for him.

The room was barely furnished, with just one large wardrobe, desk, the clock, and the bunk bed. But Daehwi had decorated the place to make it feel— as the younger boy had said— “more at home”. Along with the postcards, Daehwi had hung up strings of lights on the wall, its dozens of tiny lightbulbs shining pleasantly throughout the night. There were also three small pots of flowers on the desk. The plants were artificial— Daehwi knew better than to grow plants in a room with no windows and no proper sunlight.

There were two doors— one leading to the hallway, and one leading to the bathroom where Jinyoung had showered before changing into a clean set of clothes and climbing onto the top bunk.

Daehwi was on the bunk below him. At the thought of the younger boy, Jinyoung found himself feeling a little excited. It had been a long time since he got to spend time with someone around his age, somehow who was so friendly to him.

Slowly climbing down the small ladder of the bunk bed, Jinyoung’s bare feet hit the cold floor. He turned to look at Daehwi.

The younger boy was still fast asleep, hugging the blanket to his small chest. Jinyoung tried his best to stay quiet as he carefully sat on the floor in front of Daehwi. But the shuffling of his footsteps was apparently loud enough.

Daehwi stirred a bit before waking up. Then his eyes opened, gaze falling right onto Jinyoung.

Letting out a small gasp, Daehwi sat up immediately. “Hy-hyung! You scared me!”

Jinyoung panicked. “Sorry! Did I wake you up?”

“It’s fine.” Daehwi blinked the sleep out of his eyes, stifling a yawn behind his hand. “It was time to start the day, anyways.”

“Right...” Jinyoung was silent for a bit before he slightly leaned forwards. “Daehwi.”

“Yes, hyung?”

“Could you please pinch me?”

“What?”

“Pinch me, please?”

Daehwi blinked again, this time in surprise. But at the serious and rather pleading look on Jinyoung’s face, Daehwi nodded.

The younger boy reached over and pinched Jinyoung on the cheek.

Jinyoung flinched. “Ow.”

“You asked me to, hyung!”

Daehwi was about to pull his hand back when Jinyoung gently grabbed his wrist.

“Thanks,” Jinyoung then said. He felt Daehwi’s pulse underneath his fingers. “I needed that.”

“Um, you’re welcome?” Daehwi then began to smile. “Did you think you were dreaming, hyung?” After not receiving an answer, he asked, “Did you think this wasn’t real?”

“Something like that,” Jinyoung muttered. He let go of Daehwi’s wrist, watching the younger boy’s hand drop back onto the bed.

Daehwi was still smiling. “It’s real, hyung. I’m here. _We’re_ here.”

“Right...”

Jinyoung felt relief washing throughout his body. So, things really could change. He had somewhere to return to. He had people who he hoped he could trust and depend on.

_He hoped._

“Are you hungry?”

Daehwi’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

“We should get some breakfast.”

Jinyoung nodded. “Sure.” He hadn’t realized it, but his stomach did ache a little bit.

“We’ll get some food, then I can start giving you a tour of the place.” Daehwi grinned again before swinging his legs off the bed. He stood up and stretched for a bit, with Jinyoung watching him from behind. He then turned around. “Let’s go!”

 

 

 

 

Jinyoung didn’t know what he expected.

After changing into a pair of jeans and T-shirt, they left their shared room. Walking along the hallways with Daehwi, it felt like they were two high school boys on their way to the cafeteria. Daehwi had a sort of skip in his steps, the smile never leaving his face, melting away any tension that may have hung in the air. The atmosphere could have been more serious— perhaps from the gray and bland walls of the organization, or perhaps from the guards that were scattered all over the buildings.

But Jinyoung didn’t feel tense nor an overwhelming seriousness— not with Daehwi always striking up a conversation, with his bright eyes and bright smile.

Passing down hallways and rooms, they exchanged little words and Jinyoung felt more and more safe.

“Did you have a good sleep last night?”

Jinyoung gave a small nod. “I think so. We were exhausted, weren’t we?”

“We really were.”

“I had a dreamless sleep,” Jinyoung then said. “I guess that’s why I thought everything that happened last night was the dream instead.” He was glancing around, already feeling lost. “Where are the other people?”

“Probably all getting breakfast,” Daehwi answered. “Or already out on missions. Things are pretty busy around here.”

As Jinyoung wondered about the type of missions he may be embarking on later, they entered an area that looked like a mix between a cafeteria and a storage room.

Boxes lined up the walls, stacked on top of each other. There were kids retrieving objects from those boxes, some even climbing on ladders to reach the ones on top.

Tables were all over the floor, reminding Jinyoung of the tables used back at school cafeterias. While some were occupied, there were empty ones as well.

“Self-serve,” Daehwi said, leading Jinyoung to one corner of the room. There was a tall boy there with black hair, not even needing a ladder to reach the highest box as he peeked into its contents. Daehwi cleared his throat. “Donghan-hyung!”

The tall boy, Donghan, jumped in surprise. He glanced down at the call of his name.

“Hey, Daehwi!” A large grin spread across Donghan’s face. He then glanced at Jinyoung, causing the latter to flinch at the sudden eye contact.  “Oh, is this the new kid?”

“Yes, this is Bae Jinyoung. He’s in my group.” Daehwi turned to Jinyoung, gesturing towards the tall boy. “This is Kim Donghan. He’s in Taehyun-hyung's group.”

“Nice to meet you, Jinyoung!” Donghan rummaged through the contents of the box. He pulled back, hands full of what appeared to be bags of bread and bottles of water. “Catch!”

With only a split second to react, Jinyoung took a step forward and stuck his palms out. The objects fell into his hands, and he quickly drew them to his chest.

Arms full of food and drinks, Jinyoung glanced up to see Donghan grinning at him.

“Nice reflexes,” the tall boy said.

Jinyoung blinked. “Th...Thanks?”

“Those quick reflexes might as well save your life one day.” Donghan then scooped up more food into his own arms and gave Jinyoung and Daehwi a little wave. “I’m gonna go take these to Taehyun-hyung and the others. Again, it was nice meeting you, Jinyoung. I hope you enjoy your stay with us.”

“Are you sure those aren’t all for you, hyung?” Daehwi asked jokingly.

Donghan laughed before he left, throwing a final remark over his shoulder.

“Gotta help out the team.”

 

 

 

 

They had gotten themselves settled at one of the empty tables. Sitting across Daehwi, Jinyoung watched as the younger boy opened a carton of strawberry milk, taking a long sip from it.

The chattering from the other tables reached Jinyoung’s ears, and once in a while he spared a glance at the other people scattered around the room. He felt a mixture of many emotions, all swirling inside him like a big concoction— he was nervous, excited, and curious at the same time.

Just when he was going to take his first bite of bread, Woojin slid into the bench next to him.

“Morning, Jinyoung!” the snaggle-toothed boy said.

“Good morning... Woo... Woojin-hyung, right?”

“Yup!”

Another person— an unfamiliar one— slid into Jinyoung’s other side.

“Oh, we didn’t get a chance to meet last night!” the newcomer said, holding out his hand. His other arm was full of food. “Hi, I’m Park Jihoon.”

As they shook hands, Jinyoung introduced himself.

“Our beautiful teamwork brought you here, Jinyoung,” Woojin said, grinning.  

“I’m starving,” Jihoon said with a sigh, dumping the pile of food onto the table. He thumped Jinyoung on the back. “Better eat a lot before we’re sent off on missions.”

With the two Parks on either side of him, Jinyoung surprisingly didn’t feel all that bothered as he began to fill his stomach. It had been a long time since he had eaten something decent, or enough to actually feel remotely full. Without realizing, he even let out a small sigh of relief.

Daehwi caught it and smiled at him secretly. With a wink, he said, “They let us eat as much as we want. The menu changes a lot too. It’s never something fancy, but they never let us starve.”

Woojin had three straws in his mouth, all connected to a separate bottle of juice. “We superpower kids need a lot of energy to function.”

“Makes sense,” Jinyoung remarked.

“Some of us just simply eat a lot,” Jihoon said. “For example, little Seonho...” His voice then trailed off as the sound of loud footsteps filled the air. “Well, speak of the devil.”

Soon it was Seonho and Guanlin who slid onto the bench, caging Daehwi in between them. Jinyoung thought that Jihoon had looted a lot of food, but it turned out that Seonho brought even more.

“Hi, Jinyoung-hyung!” Seonho greeted.

“Hey.”

“Did you get a good sleep last night?”

“I did, actually.”

Jinyoung didn’t say it, but a little ball of joy had formed in his chest at the thought of people caring for him like this. They were just simple words, but they were words that he hadn’t heard in a while.

Daehwi had opened another carton of milk and handed it to Jinyoung. “If there’s anything you wanna ask or you’re curious about, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

After taking a sip, Jinyoung cleared his throat. “Actually... There _was_ something I was curious about.” With everyone’s focused attention on him, he hesitated. _Was it okay to ask this? There should be nothing wrong, right?_ He would find out sooner or later anyways. “I was wondering what exactly your powers were.”

“You can shoot lightning out of your hands, right, Jinyoung?” Jihoon said.

With a nod, Jinyoung held out the palm of his hand, causing Jihoon to almost jump out of his seat.

“Whoa, whoa! You don’t need to demonstrate for us!”

“Oh, so-sorry.” Jinyoung put down his hand. He didn’t miss the alarmed look not only in Jihoon’s eyes, but the other boys as well. Perhaps they had heard the news about him. About the destruction that he had caused. He felt a heavy weight clench around his heart, and he bit his lip with worry.

“It’s alright,” Daehwi said gently, shooting Jihoon a short glare. Jihoon gave an apologetic bow in return before sitting down again. “I guess we’re all just a little wired up from last night’s mission.”

“Anyways,” Jihoon then said, as if trying to make up for his previous reaction. “You were curious about our powers. For me, I can charm people into doing what I want. You can say that I cast a spell on them. I just need to talk to them and they’ll do it.”

“Jihoon’s a really charming person,” Woojin said through a mouthful of bread.

Tips of his ears going pink, Jihoon continued. “It’s similar but also different from Minhyun’s mind control.”

 _Minhyun,_ Jinyoung thought. _The scary guy from yesterday._

“Woojin here can control energy,” Daehwi explained, gesturing towards the snaggle-toothed boy. “He can focus all the energy in one place, like his hands for example, and he can use that for combat.”

“Like when I blew the wall apart,” Woojin said.

Daehwi rolled his eyes. “And attracted a lot of enemies to our location, yes.”

“And you?” Jinyoung asked, remembering the bright purple lights that had shot out of Daehwi’s hands the night before.

“Water drops,” Daehwi said. At Jinyoung’s confused expression, he chuckled. “I know. It sounds weak, doesn’t it? But if thrown at a certain speed, a really really fast one, water can even cut through glass.”

“It could even make glass shatter,” Jinyoung said, remembering the window that Daehwi had shot at. The window that they had run through, onto nothing.

Daehwi nodded. “Yup.”

Seonho then spoke up. “Guanlin-hyung can control the sea!”

“Not really,” Guanlin quickly said. “I can control the waves of the sea, but not the whole thing itself...”

“Not yet, at least!” Seonho had a sparkle in his eyes. “The higher-ups believe that you could do much more than that!”

“I’m not so sure...”

“I wish I could do something like that.”

As Guanlin mumbled a reply for his little brother, Jinyoung recalled what Seongwoo had told him before— that there was one boy in The Light that didn’t have powers, who didn’t officially belong to a certain group, but that everyone cared for.

Jinyoung stared at Seonho, the information clicking together. _Ah,_ he thought. _So it’s this boy right here._

But what was he doing in a place like this? Did he follow his brother to the organization? Or was he dragged against his will? Perhaps his powers had yet to emerge?

Jinyoung mulled over the question in his thoughts, and at the same time he couldn’t help but wonder how great it would be to live without powers. Without constantly worrying that you would lose control and hurt someone you cared for, without living in fear that people would utilize you for their own needs...

But he thought of all the possibilities that Seonho didn’t have. The possible future that he had lost, just like Jinyoung himself. When having powers, at least you had an excuse for the mess of the life you had. But Seonho... he didn’t even have that.

Here was Seonho in front of him, smiling from ear to ear as he talked about the powers of the other boys.

“Seongwoo-hyung can transform! I’ve seen him transform into a ton of different animals of all shapes and sizes and I think that’s so cool. And then there’s Daniel-hyung! He can make and control snow! He can make whole blizzards! He did that last night, didn’t he?”

“He did, Seonho,” Daehwi answered. He then rested his chin on his hand. “Daniel-hyung will probably spend the whole day sleeping to get his strength back. It really drains him.” Turning to Jinyoung, Daehwi quickly added, “Don’t worry, he’ll be fine. He just needs a lot of rest. Ah, so that leaves us two more people in our group. Jisung-hyung and Sungwoon-hyung.”

“Jisung-hyung can control the rain,” Woojin said.

“And Sungwoon-hyung can control the clouds,” Jihoon finished, chewing on his food. “He can also control the fog. It’s pretty cool.”

“As for everyone else in other groups,” Daehwi then said. “You’ll find out as you meet them. Here they come.”

Jinyoung knew that the other kids had their eyes on his table, as if finding the right time to approach him. And here they did, at least a dozen of them. Trying not to feel overwhelmed, Jinyoung replied to their greetings and introductions. They were all smiling, speaking in friendly tones and looking not much older than him. They told him words of encouragement and advice— and deep down, Jinyoung felt welcomed.

Things were starting off well. He was at least glad for that.

 

 

 

 

After the meal and introductions with the other kids, Daehwi took Jinyoung on a little tour of the organization, with Seonho and Guanlin tailing behind them. Jihoon and Woojin had left to talk to Sungwoon, who had appeared at the eating area and gestured them over.

As they passed by hallways and doors, Daehwi told Jinyoung about where those hallways and doors led to. Jinyoung wondered just how big the entire place was, already in awe at how things were built. Eventually they clambered into the elevator together to head to the main room.

What really drew Jinyoung’s attention were the screens all over the walls. The main room was enormous, yet screens stretched from one end of the wall to the other, flashing different images.

Jinyoung was focused on one cluster of screens, seeing some of them on various news channels, and some were of streets and views that were both familiar and unfamiliar to him.

“We have to know what’s happening all around us,” Daehwi said, falling into step next to Jinyoung. He was looking at the screens as well. “Sometimes the outcomes of our missions appear on the news. For example, last night.”

Jinyoung blinked. “That was on the news?”

Daehwi let out a small, cheerful laugh. “Gunshots in a mafia lair. A defeated mafia boss. Two kids jumping through a shattered window and then caught by a giant raven. A sudden blizzard surrounding a single building. How could that not make the news?”

Guanlin and Seonho were at the other end of the room, looking at other screens.

“So I guess you guys make the news often,” Jinyoung said. It was more of a statement than a guess.

“Yup. It’s not exactly something we’re proud of.” Daehwi let out a small sigh. “When I was young, I wondered what it would be like to be on TV. I didn’t expect it would be like this.” The sudden burst of sadness was then gone, and he pulled on a smile. “But they never manage to capture our faces. Maybe just a silhouette or a blurry image, but never our faces. We learn to avoid cameras. To hide our identities as much as possible.”

Jinyoung’s eyes had found their way to another screen. It was a landscape he had passed often when he was still in Seoul.

Daehwi followed his gaze. “The Light set up their own surveillance cameras all around the city, all hidden. Or sometimes they just hack into the city’s official cameras, and we get the live footage here.”

There were people passing the street, minding their own business, perhaps not knowing that they were being watched.

“Shall we continue the tour?” Daehwi asked, nudging his side.

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

Just as they whirled around, a tall girl with long black hair passed by. She had a bag slung over her shoulder, and she gripped onto it until her knuckles turned white.

Along with other girls, she was one of the kids that had approached him during breakfast. _Her body can become as light as a feather,_ Daehwi had explained. _In other words, she can fly. Cool, right?_

The girl had a bright laugh and a bright smile, but at this moment all brightness was gone from her features.

Daehwi saw her as well, saw the expression on her face. Concerned, he called, “Chaeyeon!”

At the sound of her name, Lee Chaeyeon halted in her steps and glanced in their direction. “Oh hi, Daehwi!” She then saw Jinyoung and, with her free hand, gave him a wave. “I hope you’re enjoying the tour, Jinyoung.”

“Where are you going?” Daehwi asked.

Chaeyeon tried to pull on a smile. “Just got a mission. I’m heading out right now.”

“All alone?”

“Unfortunately, yes. The higher-ups said it was a solo mission. So here I am.”

The concern was clear on Daehwi’s face. “Be careful.”

“Will do! I’ll see you two later!”

They watched as she continued making her way to main doors on the other end of the room. Already, she seemed so far away.

“She’ll be okay, right?” Jinyoung asked.

Daehwi nodded. “Me and her... we go way back. Grew up together, actually. I know her. I trust her.”

Just then another girl passed by, shoulder-length hair bouncing as she ran. She was another familiar face who had greeted Jinyoung back at the table, and he vaguely remembered cherry blossoms floating out of her hands as she spoke excitedly.

But from the split second when she passed by the two boys, Jinyoung saw her eyes full of worry.

 _Sakura,_ Jinyoung remembered. _Her name’s Sakura._

The girl ran until she reached the end of the large room, stopping right in front of Chaeyeon.

They were far away, but Jinyoung could vaguely hear their conversation. Words of _be careful_ and _I’ll be fine_ were exchanged.

It was a short exchange, time obviously running short. But Chaeyeon had cupped Sakura’s face in her gentle hands and leaned in for a quick, reassuring kiss.

After pulling away, Chaeyeon gave her one more smile before leaving through the doors.

Sakura stood there for a bit, staring at the spot where Chaeyeon had disappeared. But she then turned around, a million thoughts seemingly in her mind, before she herself disappeared down another hallway.

Jinyoung wondered if it was something he should not have seen— it was their moment, in their own little world.

And yet... he found himself thinking seriously about something. He tried to pinpoint it.

“You know...” Daehwi said, his voice gentle. “The world is messed up. Our lives are messed up and all. But there’s at least some good that comes from all of this.” A smile had made its way to his face. “In all this mess, Chaeyeon met someone who loves her and who she loves in return. Somehow, out of all odds, Chaeyeon found a flower in the middle of a barren wasteland.”

 _Oh._ Jinyoung realized what it was. _It was love._ Something that he never had the chance to think about. After his powers had emerged and his life took a turn for the worst, it was one of the many things that had slipped his mind. Maybe if he was some normal boy in a normal high school, he could feel the thrill and excitement of falling in love but... he just simply never thought about it.

And he must have assumed that other Lights felt the same. But Chaeyeon and Sakura proved otherwise.

Daehwi saw the thoughtful look in Jinyoung’s eyes. His smile grew. “They’re not the only ones. Two girls in Nayoung-noona’s group are also together. And...” He laughed. “Woojin-hyung and Jihoon-hyung obviously have something going on but they don’t even realize it themselves. It’s kind of cute to see, really. And Daniel-hyung and Seongwoo-hyung—”

Daehwi then cut himself off, as if realizing that he was going to say something he shouldn’t. Jinyoung stared at the younger boy, tilting his head curiously to the side.

“What is it, Daehwi?”

“No-Nothing.” Daehwi let out a nervous laugh.

“Hmm.” Jinyoung continued to stare. “What about you, then?”

“Huh?”

“Have you found your own flower in this barren wasteland?”

Daehwi stared back at him, surprised at the question. Jinyoung was surprised himself, but he somehow was curious. Did this bright, cheerful boy have a certain someone on his mind? What kind of person would she or he be like?

“I... I never really thought about it,” Daehwi finally said. “I guess the world’s been too crazy for me that I never found the time to actually think about... feelings?”

“I see.”

“Lights fall in love, but it’s not something that I ponder about, I guess. But that’s how it is. People find each other even in this organization.” Daehwi then let out a small hum. “But I guess that’s the only way it would work out.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t think a Light could fall for someone _outside_ of the organization.” Now it was Daehwi’s turn to look thoughtful. “It’s sad, but with all the dangers and hiding our identities that we do every day, it’s just impossible to be with someone outside of all this.”

Jinyoung could understand.

_And what’s more painful than loving someone you can’t be with?_

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

By the time that Minhyun left headquarters and began his long drive to the city, the sky was turning a lighter shade of blue and orange.

He had seen the sunrise countless times by now. Perhaps he should have gotten bored of it already. But at the sight of the first rays of sunlight bleeding into that deep, dark blue, he found himself in awe all over again. He would have loved to stop and watch the dawn turn into day, but he knew that he couldn’t spare the time.

If he was lucky, he’d finish the job quickly and head back just as quickly. The first thing he needed to do was find out how easily controllable the target was, then he would put the plan to action, fulfill the client’s request, and he would be done.

It was supposed to be that simple.

 

 

 

 

Kim Jaehwan had always been both worried and curious about his future.

It was a normal thought for someone his age. Young adults in their last years of college would always worry about life after graduation— that moment when they’re thrown out into the “real world”. Challenges would emerge, the great unknown full of endless possibilities.

But Jaehwan had more than that in his mind. He had been thinking a lot lately about a lot of things and he didn’t know what to do with it.

And he was still thinking even after the lecturer left, after the students began milling out of the classroom. The second that the lesson ended, Jaehwan’s gaze naturally went to the window, and he stared at the sky. It was well in the afternoon, already time for lunch.

“Jaehwan!”

He flinched in his seat, drawn out of his thoughts. He turned to look at his friends who had already risen from their seats, backpacks slung over their shoulders.

It was then that Jaehwan noticed that the classroom was already empty except for him and his friends. The classroom seemed so much bigger with just the three of them.

Jaehwan stood up, grabbing his notebook and writing utensils before stuffing them into his guitar case— his substitute for a backpack.

“Daydreaming again?”

At his friend’s question, Jaehwan grinned. “Something like that. Let’s go.”

He walked up to his friends, seeing one of them holding onto a phone. A video was playing on it, depicting footage of a building surrounded by what looked to be a blizzard.

“Is that from last night?” Jaehwan asked.

“Yeah. Apparently The Light is responsible for this. Geez, these guys are monsters.”

“I saw the news too. It’s on again?”

The three of them huddled around the phone, watching the reporter as she talked about the mafia boss who had been knocked unconscious in the fight, and how the police were too late in apprehending the ones who had launched the attack.

It seemed that last night was quite eventful. Not only was the mafia lair raided by an “unknown organization”, but the director of a famous company had stepped down, giving the position to his son. The report was finished with an interview of the son, who promised that the company was in good hands now.

Jaehwan heard his friends’ words of disbelief. It was quite odd, he had to admit. It was too sudden, too little reason behind it all. _Foul play by the son perhaps,_ he thought. But he didn’t want to ponder about it too much.

The news finally moved on to another segment, and the three friends decided it was time to get some food and coffee before the next class.

Before leaving the room, Jaehwan spared a glance out the window. It was a bright day with a few wisps of cloud.

At least the weather was nice.

 

 

 

 

Minhyun had dressed casually. He needed to fit in with the people around him, and drawing unnecessary attention would only hinder the progress of his job.

Jeans, a white T-shirt, and converse shoes— they were casual and comfortable but weren’t the best clothes for combat. He also wore thin-rimmed glasses that would easily fall in a fight. But according to the files he had read last night, combat wouldn’t be needed. It would be a non-violent job, where no one got physically hurt, and wouldn’t take a long time either.

Walking through the gates of campus was a surreal feeling. His previous jobs had taken him to the gathering places of criminals, on shady streets and locations of top-class people and businessmen, and the homes of said people— just like last night’s job.

But now here he was, the tall buildings of a peaceful university and its students all around him.

With a bag over his shoulder, Minhyun didn’t walk aimlessly. He knew where he was headed— or more precisely, where his target was headed.

The files had a rather comprehensive description of the target’s daily schedules. Minhyun remembered the details that his client had provided. Some of them, he realized, seemed like details that would be acquired after weeks of stalking.

 _“On Tuesdays, Jaehwan’s class ends at around 12:30. After that, he usually grabs some coffee with his friends at the small café near his department. He sometimes skips the coffee and practices guitar near there too. Then he has another class at 3 PM. And then after that class he...”_ etcetera, etcetera.

Minhyun had been quite alarmed when he read it all. But he quickly dismissed the feeling. The nature of his client’s relationship with the target wasn’t important to him. It didn’t matter to him.

The Department of Applied Music was a large building in the middle of campus. He took a seat on one of the benches that lined up the pathway, digging into his bag for a notebook. Pretending to focus on his writing, he waited. After a few minutes, his mind began to wander.

He had received an assortment of requests before. _Please control this mafia gang so I could use them. Please kill this person— make him choke himself. Please make my father hand over his director position to me._

Throughout the years, he had done and succeeded in many requests. They were all serious and heavy work, and yet _this one_ that he currently was in the process of...

_Please make Kim Jaehwan mess up in the university’s music competition._

It sounded like the request of a little child. Minhyun nearly scoffed when he read those words on the file— the file that was usually filled with dangerous and life-threatening words. But this... this sounded petty and pathetic and Minhyun wondered what kind of person would hire The Light for such a thing.

But the client had the money, so The Light accepted it. That was all that mattered. As long as the client could pay for the services, any job could be done.

Maybe the client was a spoiled child with a lot of money in his hands. Maybe he had a grudge against Jaehwan. Maybe he was a rival in this music competition.

Whatever the reason was, Minhyun would carry out the request. The competition was still days away, but he needed to see how he could easily control Kim Jaehwan. Today would simply be used as a sort of test-run. Once he confirmed that he could control the target, Minhyun would then inform the client, would then explain how the mind control would be used during the competition, how the request would easily be fulfilled.

Then Minhyun would head back to headquarters, get some well-deserved rest, maybe watch the sunset...

“The last person to reach the café has to buy food!”

“I’M CARRYING A GUITAR, IT’S HARD TO RUN.”

“You’re running hella fast, though?!”

Minhyun glanced up to see three boys running towards the café. At the front, cradling a guitar case carefully in his arms, was Kim Jaehwan.

It was all a mess, really. The three students were loud, laughing and yelling as they ran, their hair and clothes blown in the wind. Jaehwan had touched the café door with a small _thud,_ afterwards slinging the guitar over his shoulder _._ He threw up his hands in a cheer of victory, the biggest smile on his face.

Kim Jaehwan wasn’t supposed to be impressive. The boy’s black hair was all tousled, even falling over his eyes. Over his jeans, he wore a simple gray hoodie that was slightly too big, the sleeves nearly covering his hands.

But Minhyun felt a weird squeeze in his chest, found himself staring at the boy a bit longer than he intended to. He finally glanced down at his notebook again. His eyes now staring at the scribbles on paper, he listened.

“I win! I win!”

“How the hell do you run so fast, Jaehwan...?”

Jaehwan laughed. It was loud and piercing but Minhyun didn’t find it unpleasant.

“Loser buys food.”

“Food!”

“Alright, alright. You guys go find a seat.”

There were tables outside the café. Jaehwan and his friend made themselves comfortable on one of them, while the other student entered through the door.

Jaehwan had placed his guitar case on an empty chair, patting it to get the dust off. After his friend returned with muffins and sandwiches, they busied themselves with the food and it was then that Minhyun glanced up.

The café was meters away, but Minhyun could still see how Jaehwan’s cheeks puffed out as he ate. The boy was like a hamster. It was cute.

_Cute?_

Minhyun mentally slapped himself.

_No. Stop that. You can’t think something like that._

Eyes back on the notepad, Minhyun concentrated. He would need to start mind controlling soon. He had to focus, find the right timing...

The students had finished their small meal, discarding the wrappings into the trash bin. Jaehwan started taking out his guitar from its case.

“I think I’m gonna practice for a bit,” he said.

His friend grinned. “I’m sure you’re gonna win first place again.”

Jaehwan set the instrument on his knee, positioning his hands. “I’m just gonna try my best.”

 _Now,_ Minhyun thought. He closed his eyes, digging deep into the minds of the two students by Jaehwan’s side, and concentrated hard.

It was easy. Minhyun didn’t even need to try hard. It was as if he just needed to give a tiny prod, and they were both under his control.

One of the boys suddenly stood up. “Oh! Sorry, Jaehwan, I just remembered that I promised to meet up with someone.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Sorry.”

“Okay, I’ll see you in class.”

“See ya!”

Jaehwan turned to his other friend, who had tapped his shoulder.

“Sorry, I gotta go too.”

Looking confused, Jaehwan brow furrowed. “Where are you going?”

“I think I left something back at the classroom. I need to go get it.”

“I’ll come with—”

“No, it’s alright. I’m sure it’s still there. You need to practice.”

“Alright, then...?”

After the two boys had left, Minhyun could finally focus on just Jaehwan. He didn’t want any questioning looks or confusion happening if Jaehwan were to suddenly act differently than normal. He had to get rid of any witnesses.

Minhyun glanced up, relieved to see Jaehwan’s full attention on the guitar.

Jaehwan had a slight pout on his face, probably upset that his friends suddenly ditched him. But he then started tuning the guitar, and the pout disappeared, replaced with a dimpled smile.

 _Focus_ , Minhyun told himself. _Focus._

And that was what he did. He focused, intending to dig right into the target’s mind, take control, and know that he could carry out his mission easily.

But that didn’t happen. Kim Jaehwan continued to tune his guitar, not flinching even a little bit. The mind control failed. Minhyun closed his eyes, tried again. Failed again.

He held back a sigh. _Okay. So maybe it wouldn’t be that easy._

Minhyun had to get closer, and he needed to put more strength in his powers. But if he were to do so, his hands would start glowing. Just putting out a little of his energy would keep his hands free from the glow, but it was enough to take control the two previous students. Even from a distance, Minhyun could do it.

But apparently not for Kim Jaehwan.

He needed to get closer. The closer the proximity, the easier it would be.

While Minhyun began to think of ways to naturally approach his target, Jaehwan began to play.

Small, nimble fingers flew over guitar strings. The song was soft and calming, fitting well with the weather and bright sky.

Minhyun’s eyes had opened, once again focused on the boy in front of him. Jaehwan’s gaze was fixed on the guitar, as if making sure he plucked the right strings. But the boy eventually tilted his head, looking at the sky.

Then Jaehwan began to sing, and Minhyun knew he wouldn’t be able to look away even if he wanted to.

 

 

_Winter air couldn't keep us from braving the cold_

_Laying out in the driveway, rapt to the bones_

_And your hair was all a mess_

_When I felt your hand pressed in mine_

 

 

Jaehwan’s voice was soft, yet powerful at times. There was something magical about the way he sang— how he carried the lyrics. If Minhyun closed his eyes and imagined, he could see the sunny streets and sunny café disappearing, replaced with a dark sky full of clouds that poured snow onto a driveway below. He could see a house, its walls white with both snow and paint, slightly orange from the lights of the windows.

 

 

_I knew it was love I was feeling_

_As the years begin to fade, your eyes still shine the same_

 

As Jaehwan sang, it felt like he was telling a story. A story of two people, unsure of themselves and what they had between them. There was fear, there was doubt, but finally a revelation. But the years passed and the both of them made it through.

 

_And I found you while dreaming of meteor showers_

 

 

The story ended. The image of the snowy grounds and the snowy house faded from Minhyun’s mind, and he was brought back to reality again.

In front of him was the café. And seated at the café was Kim Jaehwan.

Jaehwan was still staring at the sky, as if searching for something that he couldn’t see.  

Minhyun could understand if his client felt jealous of Jaehwan’s singing. Or perhaps intimidated. There really was something special there. Winning a music competition wouldn’t be too hard of a feat.

Maybe Minhyun was still entranced when he found the words slipping out of his mouth, out of his control.

“That was amazing.”

By the time he realized that he had spoken his thoughts out loud, Jaehwan had already turned towards him.

They locked eyes, and it was as if a jolt of electricity ran down Minhyun’s spine.

Though slightly wide with surprise at the sudden praise, Jaehwan’s eyes were soft.

“Thank you.”

And his voice was soft too.

Minhyun wondered if he had screwed up already. But his mind quickly worked, focusing back on the job.  He had already gotten Jaehwan’s attention. He might as well do something with it.

He slightly raised his voice, making sure that Jaehwan heard his words even from the distance.

“You mind if I sit there with you?”

Another look of surprise. But Jaehwan was smiling nonetheless, gesturing to the seat next to him. “Not at all.”

Heart beating against his chest, Minhyun slipped the notepad into his backpack and stood up. He walked the short distance, and the closer he got to Jaehwan, the more he tried to concentrate.

“I’m guessing you’re from the Applied Music Department,” Minhyun said, setting down his backpack on an empty chair while he took the seat next to Jaehwan. Striking up conversations with his targets was something that he had mastered. When the target was focused on talking and answering, their attention would be divided, making it easier for the mind control to penetrate through.

Jaehwan smiled, and from up close Minhyun could see the dimple in the younger boy’s left cheek. “Good guess.”

“And I’m guessing that you’re joining the music competition.”

Jaehwan’s smile grew, but there was a curiosity and uncertainty in his eyes, as if asking _who is this person?_ But he nodded nonetheless and answered. “That is correct.”

“You’ll do great.” Minhyun gave a smile in return, wanted to make Jaehwan comfortable and at ease.

“I hope so too.”

“I’m Minhyun.” Holding out his hand, Minhyun realized that he was nervous. This wasn’t like him. He was always so calm, so collected...

 Jaehwan’s fingers wrapped around his, giving a small yet firm shake. “Kim Jaehwan. Are you also a student here?”

“Yeah,” Minhyun lied, ignoring how the pace of his heart started quickening. “Department of Social Science.”

“I haven’t seen you around here.”

“It _is_ a large campus.”

Jaehwan was the first to let go. Minhyun then slipped both of his hands underneath the table, hiding the glow that began to appear on his palms.

“I was just trying to cram in some extra studying,” Minhyun said. He was concentrating hard, but the easygoing look was on his face, putting on his most charming smile. “I couldn’t help but be impressed by your singing.”

“Is that so?”

“Yup.”

_Why wasn’t it working?_

His hands were warm. He quickly slipped them into his pockets, hiding his glowing palms completely.

Any other person would have already fallen under Minhyun’s control already. He had used the same amount of power that he threw at Mr. Park and his guards and yet... this boy wasn’t even swayed in the least.

 _Keep talking to him,_ Minhyun told himself. _Distract him. Scatter his thoughts._

“Would you like a cup of coffee?”

At Minhyun's offer, Jaehwan’s eyes slightly widened again. The tips of his ears had taken on a light pink color, the shade darkening quickly.

Minhyun wondered if he had gone overboard. But wasn’t this natural? Just a person being interested in another person... and asking them out on a cup of coffee?

He knew the implications behind it. Felt a little guilty about it. It was all up to interpretation, really. But he felt uneasy at the possibility of playing with the feelings of the boy in front of him.

Minhyun quickly caught himself. Playing with feelings was _exactly_ what he had done countless times— it was _exactly_ what he was doing now. Feeling bad about it was useless. He had numbed down his own emotions— of guilt, of uneasiness, of feeling like the most horrible person alive.

He was supposed to be used to it. He was supposed to feel numb.

“Sure.”

He shouldn’t be feeling his heart skip a beat when Jaehwan accepted the offer. But he did.

Minhyun smiled. “Okay. Shall we go inside?”

Jaehwan nodded, and the both of them collected their belongings. Minhyun held the café door open for Jaehwan as he went in, vaguely aware of their height difference.

It was a simple café in the middle of campus, but it was nice and cozy. Though he wasn’t a fan of coffee himself, Minhyun bought two cups. One for him, and one for Jaehwan.

They found seats facing the window, the both of them looking at the view outside before Minhyun struck up another conversation. It was actually... comfortable and calm. If Minhyun was a student, he could get used to this.

“Where did you learn to sing?” Minyhun had asked.

Jaehwan held the cup with both of his small hands, fingers peeking out from beyond the hoodie’s sleeves. “I’ve been singing ever since I was little. I knew that I wanted to be a singer as I grew up. So I learned here and there. And here I am.”

Nodding at Jaehwan’s answer, Minhyun realized two things.

One: he was genuinely interested in the younger boy’s answer, though he should not have been.

Two: his mind control still wasn’t working.

And this was bad. Both was bad.

But he kept trying. Minhyun listened to Jaehwan as he talked, casually added remarks and more questions. Eventually Jaehwan started asking about Minhyun, and Minhyun continued to smile and delivered a lie of how he had always wanted to go to this university, how ecstatic he was when he got in, how life was so far in his department, and how he was looking forward to graduating.

_Lies, lies, and more lies._

“Oh, you’re my sunbaenim, then!” Jaehwan remarked.

Minhyun chuckled. “That’s right.”

Time had passed without the both of them realizing. Jaehwan had finished his coffee while Minhyun’s had remained untouched. He told Jaehwan that he was saving it for his class, though in reality he had to keep his hands underneath the table. He wasn’t going to let the glow of his palms give him away.

“Class...” Jaehwan then echoed. He then pulled back his sleeve, revealing the watch around his small wrist. “Oh wow, it’s this time already?” He glanced up, locking eyes with Minhyun. “Sorry, sunbaenim. I have to go. I have class in five minutes.”

“Oh...” Minhyun realized that he sounded disappointed. The disappointment may have stemmed from the fact that his mind control had failed and that he would tell his client that he'd try again...

Or it may be simply because Kim Jaehwan was leaving, and Minhyun didn’t want him to leave yet.

 _The mission,_ Minhyun thought. _You can’t fail this mission._

Another attempt would have to be made. He could easily find Jaehwan at another time— he had Jaehwan’s entire schedule with him anyways.

But it could become suspicious to coincidentally bump into each other like that. He couldn’t risk Jaehwan being even a little suspicious of him.

So Minhyun did what he thought was a more natural approach. With a smile, he asked, “Can I have your phone number?”

“Oh,” Jaehwan said, surprise in his voice. “Sure.”

“I accidentally left my phone at home, so...”

“That’s fine, sunbaenim.”

Jaehwan had dug into his guitar case, taking out a pen and a piece of binder paper. Minhyun watched the younger boy as he wrote, focusing on his small hands and finally on his side profile.

Minhyun knew he was staring again. But for just a few seconds, he allowed himself to do so.

After carefully folding the paper and handing it to Minhyun, Jaehwan stood up and swung the guitar case over his shoulder. He gave a small bow.

“It was nice meeting you.”

“It was nice meeting you too, Jaehwan.”

_Jaehwan._

Minhyun liked the sound of the boy’s name on his tongue.

After giving a little wave and another smile, Jaehwan left. And for a while, Minhyun stared out the window, even long after the student disappeared from sight.

 

 

 

 

_Mind control was like digging a tunnel._

But for reasons unknown, Kim Jaehwan’s mind was guarded— a huge barrier protecting him from any digging.

Forget a tunnel. A tunnel was far too much.

Minhyun couldn’t even break through the surface.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

When Jisung woke up, the pounding headache from yesterday was gone.

In fact, he felt a whole lot better.

For a few precious seconds, he basked in the feeling. When was the last time his body felt this light?

Then the realization dawned on him, and he immediately sat up in bed.

There was only one reason why he was feeling so much better, and it was that he had gotten a lot of sleep. Lots and lots of sleep.

Which meant that he had overslept and that itself was bad—

“Good morning, hyung. Oh wait. Good afternoon.”

“Sungwoon! What time is it?”

Sungwoon was sitting at their shared desk, glasses perched on his noise. He squinted at the laptop in front of him.

“Almost 2 o’clock.”

“Oh my god, why didn’t you wake me up?” Jisung was already fumbling out of bed, his hair a mess. “I have so much to do and—”

“Chill, hyung. They’re all covered.”

“Wh-What?”

“I finished all those tasks for you. I wrote up some reports. There’s just a bit left and we’ll be able to finish it by tonight.”

Jisung stared and stared some more. He then fell back onto the bed, relief and gratefulness seeping through his bones.

“You really didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to, hyung. We’re a team.”

“You are an angel, Sungwoon.”

Sungwoon laughed brightly. “Like I said, we’re a team.”

“Please tell me that you slept too.”

“I did. A few hours and I’m feeling fine.”

Rubbing at his eyes and feeling a huge weight lifted off his shoulders, Jisung asked, “How are the others?”

“The kids are helping Jinyoung adjust. Daehwi’s doing a good job introducing the place to him. Guanlin and Seonho are helping too.” Sungwoon then paused. “Minhyun left early in the morning. He said that he’d report his progress at the end of the day. There’s a new mission for the two Parks, but I’m looking through the details first before giving it to them. As for Daniel and Seongwoo...”

“They’re resting, aren’t they?”

Sungwoon nodded, a sad smile playing at his mouth. “They used up all their energy yesterday. The higher-ups know better than to send them on missions when they’re not in a condition to defend themselves.”

“Right...”

Jisung bit his lip. He knew Daniel. He knew that Daniel needed more than one day to fully recover, but even if Jisung begged for more time, the higher-ups wouldn’t comply. And he couldn’t do anything about it.

He hated this helplessness. But he didn’t want to feel helpless any longer.

“You should get something to eat, hyung,” Sungwoon then said. “A late brunch, perhaps.”

Sungwoon was right. Jisung couldn’t deny the grumbling of his stomach. “Sounds like a good idea.”

 

 

 

 

Jisung wasn’t surprised to find the hallways nearly empty. At this time of the day, most of the Lights would be out on their jobs, scattered across the city and surrounding places. Perhaps in other cities as well.

The elevator was also empty when he stepped into it. Leaning against the wall, he waited while it ascended.

He wondered how his members were doing. Minhyun would already have met his target by now. Jinyoung could be having a hard time— he made note to check on the boy later. He needed to reread the documents for the two Park’s mission, wanting to see just how dangerous the job was. He also wanted to talk to Daniel and make sure that he was okay—

The elevator door swung open to reveal a familiar face.

“Hi, Eunbi.”

“Oh! Jisung, I didn’t expect to see you here.”

As Eunbi stepped into the elevator, Jisung could see the shadows under her eyes. Again, he suddenly felt guilty for oversleeping.

She also leaned heavily against the wall, her eyes unfocused. The doors closed again, and they continued their ascent.

Jisung had known the other leader long enough to see that her mind was somewhere else. Something was troubling her.

Without a word, he walked over to the elevator’s control and with expert hands, he tampered with it. The elevator halted.

Eunbi didn’t look surprised. He walked back to her, leaning against the wall again.

The elevator was one of very few places in headquarters where no guards lurked, where they could speak freely. But these days he had been extremely paranoid, so he made sure that the volume of his voice was only loud enough to be heard by the two of them.

“Eunbi, did something happen?”

A small silence. And then a small sigh from Eunbi’s lips.

“I sent Chaeyeon on her first solo mission,” she finally said. “The danger level of the mission is pretty high, so I’m more than worried. Sakura keeps asking me if Chaeyeon had sent any reports yet on her progress, but I haven’t gotten anything yet.”

The words sent a prickling feeling to Jisung’s chest. He himself was always worried whenever he sent his boys on missions. He remembered months ago when he had stayed up one night, feeling like the world was closing in around him, as he waited for news from Minhyun. The danger level was also high for that particular mission— because it was the first time Minhyun was hired as a hitman.

Minhyun had returned with bloody hands and an empty gaze, and Jisung had thrown his arms around the younger man, relieved that he was at least back alive.

The leaders of each group weren’t just constantly worried about the people in their team— but also in the other teams as well. Everyone shared a burden. Everyone shared their worries and fears.

Jisung reached over and gave Eunbi a comforting pat on the shoulder. “I know it’s scary, but we have to hope for the best.”

He couldn’t say words of _Chaeyeon will be fine. I’m sure she’ll be safe._ Because he had no guarantee for those words. Not even for his own boys. And that was what scared him.

Eunbi just gave a little nod of understanding. “Of course.”

She looked too tense. Too exhausted.

“There’s something else,” Jisung said, “isn’t there?”

Another nod. “Chaeyeon’s not the only one sent on her first solo mission.” A pause. “Wonyoung too.”

_“What?”_

“I tried my best to negotiate with the higher-ups. I literally begged for them to let me take the mission instead. Or at least let me or somebody from my team accompany her. But they wouldn’t let me.” Eunbi let out a shuddered breath. “They sent a 12-year-old girl on a high risk mission. All alone.”

Jisung was speechless.

“I know she’s strong,” Eunbi said, her voice weak. But the anger was there. “I know that her powers are sought out. But this is just... just...”

She didn’t finish the sentence. But Jisung understood. He understood well.

“I want to not follow the organization’s orders,” Eunbi then said. “I wish I could do just that. I just want to protect my kids.”

“Eunbi...”

“No matter the cost.”

“The cost could be the organization getting rid of _you.”_ Jisung spoke softly, but he was as concerned as can be. “Just like what they did to Taedong. We can’t let that happen. Your kids need you here, Eunbi. _We_ need you here.” A short silence overcame the small elevator. “You, me, Nayoung, and Taehyun. We’re the four pillars that keep all of this together. If one of us is gone, the whole thing will come crashing down.”

The next silence was longer as the words sank in.

“You’re right, Jisung. But this can’t continue. You know it can’t. We need to put the plan into action as soon as we can.” Eunbi had a sharp gaze whenever she was serious. And right now, it was as sharp as ever. “Maybe we can’t be quick enough to withdraw Chaeyeon and Wonyoung from those missions. But we need to be quick enough to save as many Lights as possible.”

“I know.”

“Taehyun says that we can have the meeting this week. He’s found a suitable place for it. Nayoung’s digging up more information.”

“And we’ve both been doing whatever we can,” Jisung finished. “We can do this, Eunbi. We can all do this.”

Eunbi nodded. “One day, we’ll all be free.”

Jisung gave a determined smile. She returned it.

Eunbi then walked over to the elevator controls, fiddling with it just like Jisung. A few seconds later, they were ascending once again.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

“Where are you off to, Daniel?”

“Gonna go out for a drive. Headquarters is getting a little too stuffy for me. I can’t sleep.”

“Whoa wait, what. You’re gonna _drive_ when you’re sleep-deprived?”

“It’ll be fine, hyung.”

Seongwoo stepped in front of the door of their shared room, blocking the way.

“No, it won’t,” the older of the two said. “I can’t have you driving off a cliff or something. I’ll drive.”

“You’re sleep-deprived too, hyung.”

“Not as badly as you. You look like a zombie, Niel.”

Daniel laughed, albeit a bit weakly. “There’s no way to change your mind, huh?”

A smirk on Seongwoo’s face, he answered, “Not in a million years.”

 

 

 

 

The truth was, Seongwoo was tired as hell. Flying all the way from the city to headquarters, especially while carrying people on his back, was more than just a little exhausting. Even the hours and hours of sleep barely did anything to replenish his strength. The fact that he kept waking up didn’t help either.

Apparently Daniel was having the same problem. The clock nearly struck 5 PM when Daniel peeked at his friend from the top bunk, announcing that he needed to go.

Though tired, Seongwoo could still focus on the road, could still concentrate enough, could still keep his eyes open to make sure they didn’t drive off a cliff.

The Light had many cars, all scattered at hidden locations near headquarters. None of them were too fancy, not wanting to attract attention when taken into the city. But there were still some decent ones.

One certain car was a favorite pick of both Seongwoo and Daniel. It was a small white-colored vehicle, although a little battered up from previous drives, it was a car that they used often and had fond memories of.

It was a familiar sight— Seongwoo behind the driver’s wheel and Daniel in the passenger’s seat beside him. Sometimes they would have snacks with them. Sometimes they would play music.

But today they let a comfortable silence fill the air, occasionally taking sips from the bottles of water that they had brought, and letting the sunset wash over them through the windows.

The sky was painted a warm orange color, blending in with the dark blue of nightfall. The stars would be out soon.

As he drove, Seongwoo couldn’t help but let a smile tug at his lips. They might be at an isolated location, in the middle of nowhere, but at least the view was nice. That was enough to put him at ease, to help clear his thoughts.

And of course, he had Kang Daniel next to him. He was happy with just that fact.

 

 

 

 

They found a rather precarious cliff that overlooked the sunset. The sky stretched out endlessly in front of them, while the vast sea glistened below.

Seongwoo parked the car at the safest place he could find. The two of them continued on foot, slowly but gradually. Seongwoo would always glance at Daniel once in a while, making sure the younger man wouldn’t suddenly collapse right there.

They stayed at a good distance from the cliff’s edge. There was a bit of grass underneath them, serving as a slight cushion when they sat.

For a bit they just stared at the horizon in front of them. The sun was beginning to sink, nearly touching the sea, the sky turning an even darker shade of blue.

Daniel initially had his legs stretched out in front of him, but he eventually folded them, hugging his own knees.

Seongwoo watched as the sunset’s colors played on Daniel’s face. It was as if Daniel radiated a golden glow, perhaps even looking a little ethereal.

He was also familiar with the expression on Daniel’s face. The younger man’s mind was wandering, a barrage of thoughts in his mind.

Seongwoo was just about to break the silence when Daniel suddenly spoke.

“Last night’s mission was pretty crazy wasn’t it?”

Daniel’s gaze was fixed on the horizon. He was watching the sunset.

“It was,” Seongwoo answered.

“I can’t remember the last time I conjured up a storm that big.”

“That was pretty impressive, Daniel.”

“Thanks, hyung. You caught the kids really well too.”

“Why, thank you.”

They both smiled at the praises. But like a sudden change of temperature, the smile faded from Daniel’s face, just a little.

“Hyung.”

“Yes, Daniel?”

“Do you miss home?”

Now _that_ took Seongwoo off guard. It was one of those topics that they treaded carefully on. They tread on it carefully as if it was thin ice.

“Of course, I do,” Seongwoo answered. “But there’s nothing we can do about it, right? It’s all in the past.”

“Sounds sad,” Daniel said.

“Sad but heartbreakingly real,” Seongwoo replied.

“I guess you do have a point there, hyung.”

“Do you miss home, Daniel?”

“Of course.” Daniel then turned to him, the smallest of smiles on his face. “But it’s been so long, hasn’t it? I don’t know if I’ll even be welcomed. I don’t even know if someone’s still waiting for me there.”

“Daniel...”

“Sorry for this sudden and random talk. I must be more sleep-deprived than I thought.”

“No, it’s fine...”

There was another silence. It didn’t last long.

“Something big is going to happen, hyung.”

“What do you mean, Niel?”

Daniel tightened the hug on his knees. “I’m not sure what. But I’ve started to notice things. Jisung-hyung’s been acting really serious lately. I see him talking to the other group leaders. I sometimes see the other group leaders talking to each other. They speak in hushed voices, so I haven’t a clue what they’re saying. They try to do it inconspicuously, but I noticed anyways.”

Gaze becoming more intense, Seongwoo wondered just how long Daniel had kept the thoughts pent up inside him.

“Jisung-hyung didn’t tell me anything,” Daniel said. “But I think... no, I’m _sure_ he will tell us all one day. Till then we can only wait. But something is coming, hyung. I can feel it.”

Daniel looked tired, confused, scared, and perhaps a little excited all at once. Seongwoo wanted nothing more than to reach out and hold his hand, to comfort him, to give Daniel’s fingers a reassuring squeeze.

But Seongwoo held himself back. Gaze unwavering from Daniel’s face, he answered, “We’ll be alright. We’ll _all_ be alright.”

Then Daniel smiled and it _hurt_ Seongwoo to see it. Previous memories had flashed in his mind— memories of a time where things seemed a bit simpler. And a bit more beautiful.

He missed those days.

The younger man then rubbed his eyes, using his other hand to stifle a yawn. “Do you think we could sleep here, hyung?”

Seongwoo pulled himself away from his thoughts. “I don’t see why not.”

Daniel didn’t say another word as he flopped onto his back, arms stretched out as if he was going to make a snow angel. He closed his eyes with a sigh.

Before drifting off to sleep, Daniel mumbled, “You should sleep too, hyung.”

Now that Daniel wasn’t looking at him, Seongwoo didn’t need to control his facial expressions anymore. He didn’t need to hide the hurt in his features. Nor did he need to hide the fondness that was mixed in with the hurt— because whatever Daniel did, Seongwoo would always be fond of him.

Even if Seongwoo’s heart was breaking all over again.

“Nah,” the older man said. The sinking sun’s glow was like a warm blanket over them. But it didn’t feel all that warm to him. “I’m gonna watch over you.”

_I’ll protect you. Always._

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why do I always end up writing ongniel angst smh
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> do tell me what you think, guys! ♥
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> The opening lines are from Mat Kearney’s song titled “Breath In Breath Out”. It’s the theme song for....... *drumrolls*  
> Jinhwi! :)
> 
> The next chapters will open with the lyrics from the other pairings.
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> Also the song that Jaehwan sang here is Meteor Showers by Andy Kong! It’s a really pretty song so if you haven’t heard it yet, please do!
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> I know it looks like I’m focusing on just a few characters in the first three chapters, but I promise that everyone will get their time to shine :)
> 
> Also I’m really sorry to say this, but I won’t be able to make promises regarding updates (when the next update will be, etc). But don’t worry, even if it takes a while, I won’t ever drop this story. I’ll definitely write it till the end!
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> Also!! If you love ongniel, make sure to check out the [ongniel fic fest](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/gapyeonglovers/works) by gapyeong lovers!  
> Also [here’s the story that I wrote ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16864510/chapters/39600109)for the fic fest, if you wanna check that out too.
> 
> And that concludes this long af authors note. Let’s meet in the next chapter too! :)
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> It's almost the end of December. Stay strong, Wannables! ❤ ㅠ_ㅠ
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> you can find me on twitter: [@myday_blackrose](https://twitter.com/myday_blackrose)


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